Public schools, like any organization, operate under strict budgets. How each school district divvies up its funds varies state to state and city to city. Schools in Chicago, for example, have less money per student than in other districts in Illinois, according to the Chicago Tribune. Though more spending does not necessarily equate to better schools, districts still fight for additional funding whenever they can get it.
StartClass, an education research site powered by Graphiq, looked at the most recent data available from the National Center for Educational Statistics (2013) to find the district in each state that spent the most money per student. We determined every state’s most generous school district by looking at expenditure per student and set an enrollment floor at 100 students. All types of public schools — regular, charter and special education — were included.
According to the NCES, the term “expenditure” consists of a wide variety of expenses for school districts. The list of costs includes support services for students, teachers, administrators and maintenance workers, as well as payments to state and local governments and interest on debt. Other expenses like construction and transportation are also part of the total expenditure figure.
States are ordered from lowest to highest money spent per student. In three states, the most generous district spends over $100,000 per pupil.
Note: The image on each slide reflects the state, not necessarily the general area of each school district.
#50. Hawaii
School district: Hawaii Department of Education
Funding per student: $12,697.10
Students enrolled: 184,760
Note: The Hawaii Department of Education is the only public school district in the state.
#49. Tennessee
School district: Oak Ridge Schools
Funding per student: $12,715.90
Students enrolled: 4,467
#48. Florida
School district: Sarasota County Schools
Funding per student: $12,802.30
Students enrolled: 41,096
#47. West Virginia
School district: Hancock County Schools
Funding per student: $16,713.90
Students enrolled: 4,202
#46. Mississippi
School district: Moss Point Separate School District
Funding per student: $17,053.10
Students enrolled: 2,366
#45. Maryland
School district: Howard County Public Schools
Funding per student: $17,329.40
Students enrolled: 52,053
#44. North Carolina
School district: Hyde County Schools
Funding per student: $17,561.70
Students enrolled: 600
#43. South Carolina
School district: Hampton School District 2
Funding per student: $17,736.60
Students enrolled: 949
#42. Idaho
School district: Mullan School District
Funding per student: $18,209.10
Students enrolled: 110
#41. Arkansas
School district: Cossatot River School District
Funding per student: $19,130.30
Students enrolled: 1,136
#40. Georgia
School district: Candler County School District
Funding per student: $19,525.70
Students enrolled: 2,159
#39. Arizona
School district: Pine Strawberry Elementary District
Funding per student: $22,959.50
Students enrolled: 148
#38. Iowa
School district: Gilbert Community School District
Funding per student: $23,382.40
Students enrolled: 1,310
#37. Virginia
School district: Arlington County Public Schools
Funding per student: $23,719.90
Students enrolled: 22,543
#36. Maine
School district: Eastport School Department
Funding per student: $24,467.90
Students enrolled: 109
#35. Indiana
School district: Dekalb County Eastern Community School District
Funding per student: $24,741.90
Students enrolled: 1,364
#34. Oregon
School district: Jewell School District 8
Funding per student: $25,607.80
Students enrolled: 153
#33. Delaware
School district: Polytech School District
Funding per student: $25,651.70
Students enrolled: 1,183
#32. Wisconsin
School district: Green Lake School District
Funding per student: $25,978.90
Students enrolled: 284
#31. Kansas
School district: El Dorado Public Schools
Funding per student: $27,231.10
Students enrolled: 1,969
#30. Utah
School district: Daggett School District
Funding per student: $28,134.30
Students enrolled: 216
#29. Louisiana
School district: Cameron Parish School Board
Funding per student: $28,512.10
Students enrolled: 1,279
#28. Washington
School district: Vashon Island School District
Funding per student: $29,742.60
Students enrolled: 1,527
#27. South Dakota
School district: Mclaughlin School District 15-2
Funding per student: $30,109.20
Students enrolled: 458
#26. Oklahoma
School district: Hammon Public Schools
Funding per student: $31,132.60
Students enrolled: 264
#25. Nebraska
School district: Hitchcock County School System
Funding per student: $31,163
Students enrolled: 276
#24. New Mexico
School district: Lake Arthur Municipal Schools
Funding per student: $31,503.40
Students enrolled: 147
#23. Montana
School district: Baker School District
Funding per student: $31,907.90
Students enrolled: 445
#22. Ohio
School district: Beachwood City Schools
Funding per student: $32,943.60
Students enrolled: 1,579
#21. North Dakota
School district: Nesson Public School District #2
Funding per student: $33,263.50
Students enrolled: 277
#20. Vermont
School district: Rockingham School District
Funding per student: $33,417.10
Students enrolled: 573
#19. New Hampshire
School district: Unity School District
Funding per student: $33,598.80
Students enrolled: 172
#18. Michigan
School district: Republic-Michigamme Schools
Funding per student: $35,770.40
Students enrolled: 135
#17. Illinois
School district: Ridgewood Community High School District 234
Funding per student: $35,952
Students enrolled: 812
#16. Connecticut
School district: Winchester School District
Funding per student: $35,997
Students enrolled: 667
#15. Alabama
School district: Satsuma City School District
Funding per student: $36,898.20
Students enrolled: 1,463
#14. California
School district: Liberty Elementary School District
Funding per student: $37.269.40
Students enrolled: 323
#13. Minnesota
School district: Campbell-Tintah Public Schools
Funding per student: $39,036
Students enrolled: 139
#12. Kentucky
School district: Robertson County Schools
Funding per student: $39,270.90
Students enrolled: 358
#11. Nevada
School district: Eureka County School District
Funding per student: $42,697.40
Students enrolled: 271
#10. Rhode Island
School district: New Shoerham School District
Funding per student: $43,883.90
Students enrolled: 112
#9. Wyoming
School district: Fremont County School District #2
Funding per student: $45,174.20
Students enrolled: 155
#8. Pennsylvania
School district: Duquesne City School District
Funding per student: $52,553.70
Students enrolled: 354
#7. Massachusetts
School district: Provincetown Schools
Funding per student: $53,943.90
Students enrolled: 107
#6. Alaska
School district: Hoonah City School District
Funding per student: $61,008.60
Students enrolled: 116
#5. Colorado
School district: Weld County School District RE-12
Funding per student: $85,740.30
Students enrolled: 181
#4. Missouri
School district: Special School District of St. Louis County
Funding per student: $94,282.80
Students enrolled: 3,826
#3. Texas
School district: Rankin Independent School District
Funding per student: $163,590
Students enrolled: 261
#2. New York
School district: Kiryas Joel Village Union Free School District
Funding per student: $196,071
Students enrolled: 169
#1. New Jersey
School district: Morris-Union Jointure Commission
Funding per student: $295,365
Students enrolled: 296
Learn More About Public Schools at StartClass
Read more: 69-Year-Old Man Kidnapped By 17-Year-Old Girlfriend