Per-Pupil Spending Rises but Still Lags U.S. Average

California’s per-student spending jumped from the previous year, although it still lags behind the national average, according to census figures from 2000 released Thursday.

The state spent $6,298 per elementary and secondary school pupil during that school year, a jump of 8.7% from the previous year.

Now ranked 29th, California had fluttered in the low- to mid-30s during the previous five years. New Jersey, New York and Washington, D.C., continue to lead the country, with the national average rising 5.8% since the previous year.

A California Department of Education official said the numbers don’t reflect either of the state’s annual reports. Different organizations’ definitions of attendance and enrollment can fluctuate, altering figures by as much as $500 per student, said Gerry Shelton, the department’s administrator of fiscal policy.

The census numbers use adjusted data that the state submitted to the National Center for Education Statistics, Shelton said. According to the center’s Web site, California’s per-pupil expenditure for the 1999-2000 school year was estimated at $5,832, ranking the state 37th in the country.

“The one thing that is clear is that per-pupil spending has been increasing,” he said. “To the extent that quality of education is tied to the amount of spending, these numbers are one way to show how committed the governor and Legislature are to ratcheting up the level of instruction and education that students are exposed to.”

School lobbyists said that although the numbers are outdated, at least they indicate a positive trend.

“My sense if that the numbers tend to be tracking reality this time,” said Bob Blattner, director of legislative figures for School Services of California, a public schools consulting firm. “That said, the numbers are so old that it’s just sort of a nice benchmark and nothing to derive policy from.”

The increased spending shows more commitment to lowering class sizes and hiring additional teachers, said David A. Sanchez, secretary-treasurer of the California Teachers Assn.

“It’s kind of old data, but it shows we’re finally realizing that if you want good schools, you’re going to have to pay for it,” he said. “We’ll have to wait for additional data and check what happens with the state budget to see if we’re still going in the right direction.”

Despite tough economic times, the budget will reflect Gov. Davis’ commitment to education, said his spokeswoman, Hilary McLean. However, lobbyist Blattner said he doesn’t expect spending to continue its annual increases.

“It’s not reasonable to expect the salad days of the last few years to continue for schools when the rest of the state is hurting,” he said.