Utah spends less – and in most cases far less – per student than surrounding states and its peer states, yet performs “respectably overall in terms of outcomes,” according to a new Utah Foundation report.
States that spend the most on K-12 education outperform other states but “it is impossible to draw a straight line between higher spending and better outcomes,” the report says.
“Utah itself proves this point: The Beehive State fares better on multiple measures than the highest-spending states collectively, even though it spends less per pupil than any state. The differences in spending are not marginal. In many cases, Utah spends less than half per pupil,” according to the report “Making the Grade? K-12 Outcomes and Spending in Utah.”
Utah compares well nationally and among western states in terms of national assessments and graduation rates. The state’s performance on annual statewide assessments and national assessment are improving and Utah students compare well on ACT scores, ranking third among 19 states that test most of their high school graduates.
