ABQjournal: N.M. Ranks 37th in U.S. in Per-Pupil Spending By Gabriela C. Guzman

New Mexico ranks 37th in the nation for per-pupil education spending, according to a report recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

On average, the state spent $6,870 per student for the 2002-2003 academic school year, which is a 3.8 percent increase over the $6,606 spent during the previous academic year. …

In New Mexico, all revenue sources for public education are distributed equally among the districts. This system has garnered local and national accolades for fairly funding education for all children. …

New Mexico, for example, should be compared to a state like West Virginia: The two states’ populations, the amount of revenue generated from property tax and the number of school-age children mirror each other.

However, West Virginia spent $8,218 per pupil in the 2002-2003 academic school year? $1,300 per pupil more than New Mexico.

New Mexico ranks in the top 10 for federal spending (fourth) and state funding (ninth) on education, according to the census report. But when it comes to local resources, the state plummets to 49th.