Title: Idaho ranks No. 50 in per-pupil spending
Headings: Idaho ranks No. 50 in per-pupil spending
Idaho ranks No. 50 in per-pupil spending
About Kevin Richert
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Content: I don’t take it lightly,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna said in an interview Tuesday. But Luna also says the per-pupil spending numbers draw a lot of public attention, in part, because they are one of the few ways the public can draw comparisons between the states’ education systems. Luna hopes that will change with the advent of Idaho Core Standards and the national Common Core movement. A Common Core supporter, Luna hopes that the states’ performance on common assessments will garner at least as much attention as per-pupil spending statistics. Idaho Education Association President Penni Cyr says the latest Census Bureau report is another sign of the Legislature’s failure to step up and properly fund schools. Penni Cyr
The shortcomings can be seen in many areas — from large class sizes to cuts in teacher professional development to a failure to adequately pay for supplies, leaving teachers to pay the difference out of their own pockets. An improving state economy hasn’t improved the picture for K-12 funding, she said Tuesday. “ Honestly, I don’t see any signs of change right now.” In per-capita spending, Idaho fared slightly better. Idaho spent $42.14 per $1,000 in personal income on education, ranking No.