California spends the most money on education of all 50 states, but due to its high volume of students, its spending per pupil falls squarely in the middle of the list, according to statistics recently released by the United States Census Bureau.
In 2005, California spent more than $52 billion on K-12 education and $8,067 per pupil, compared to the nationwide average of $8,701 per pupil. Nationwide, states spent a total of more than $427,000 to fund elementary, middle and high school education. Though some emphasize the strides California has taken in terms of education spending in recent years, critics say the amount is too little to adequately serve students. The May Revise of the California state budget included an increase of more than $300 in spending on K-12 education per pupil ““ with a total of $11,562 for 2007-2008 compared to $11,225 in 2006-2007.
“There are significant increases in per pupil spending in the governor’s budget,” said H.D. Palmer, deputy director of the state Department of Finance. “Per pupil spending next year will be well over $11,000 per pupil in California.”
Palmer added that increasing spending for higher education is something Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has emphasized.
But John Rogers, a professor in the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, called California’s spending on education “pitiful.”
Though California’s total spending on education ““ which just tops $52 billion per year ““ is the highest of any state, Rogers said the per-pupil figure affects students on a daily basis.
Rogers, who is also codirector of the Institute for Democracy and Education Access, said the consequences of lower spending include fewer resources for both teachers and students.
“With less money to spend per teacher, it results in less money to spend per student,” Rogers said. “When we look at high school classrooms in California, we see classrooms that are way larger than those in New York or Connecticut.”
He said teachers in California are forced to teach more students with fewer resources ““ for example, some science and math classes have more than 33 students per classroom.
Rogers said funding for schools in California is often unequal between districts because some receive more from private donations and local taxes than others. For example, the city of Beverly Hills contributes $1,000 per pupil into its school district, and individuals can also contribute to education through private donations, Rogers said.
“We live in a society where some get and others don’t, even though it is a public school system,” Rogers said.
Rogers said California should invest more in education, following the example of other states.
“If we want to achieve what New York achieves, we need to invest more,” he said, referring to the census, which showed that New York had the highest spending per pupil in the United States. “Investment is a way to getting positive results.”
Clinton Jang, the Undergraduate Students Association Council Financial Supports commissioner, said he believes California should spend state money on student organizations that tutor and work directly with students from secondary and primary schools.
“A primary concern is allocation for student groups, so that students can work with other students and be successful,” Jang said.
Jang said he also believes salaries for UCLA professors should be increased in order to maintain the quality of education the university provides.
Also in agreement, Rogers says that providing more incentives for teachers to want to stay and teach is important and requires more investment into California’s education system.