May 23, 2025

Keeping Media and Government Accountable.

Kansas #15 for per-student spending, #40 in NAEP outcomes

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A new analysis by Kansas Policy Institute shows that the Sunflower State ranks #15 for cost-of-living-adjusted spending per student, but #40 in student outcomes on NAEP, putting Kansas near the bottom in “bang for the educational buck.”

The Sentinel is owned by KPI.

According to a recent article by KPI CEO Dave Trabert, U.S. Census data for the most recent available 2023 school year, Kansas spending averaged $19,885 per student, adjusted for the cost of living, while the national average was $19,779. 

“A dollar spent in Kansas buys a lot more than a dollar in New York or California,” Trabert wrote. “So we adjust spending for comparison to other states using the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC) cost of living index.”

Kansas has high national rankings on spending, but achievement on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress — the gold standard for comparing states — is below the national average. Kansas’ composite score is 243 for the eight main measurements (4th-grade and 8th-grade reading and math for low-income students and everyone else), ranking it at No.40.

“We can measure each state’s relative productivity – what some might call ‘bang for the education buck’ – by dividing per-student spending adjusted for the cost of living by the NAEP composite score to find the cost per point scored,” Trabert wrote.

With COL-adjusted spending at $19,885 per student, Kansas is spending $82 per NAEP point. That’s worse than the national average of $80 per point, placing Kansas at No. 34 on the ‘bang for the education buck’ ranking.

So, despite spending increases — and the education lobby’s claim that spending more money is the key to achieving better outcomes —  achievement remains low. For example, 27 states have the same or better NAEP composite as Kansas but spend less per student.

KASB falsely claims Kansas is #13 for achievement

The Kansas Association of School Boards claims the state’s public school system ranks #13 for achievement, but national data shows it to be much lower. KASB is “cooking the books,” according to Trabert. “Kansas’ NAEP proficiency rankings range from No. 29 to No. 44, and ACT demographic scores are in the mid-30s,” Trabert wrote.

Trabert said KASB’s methodology counts things that are not measures of what students know and are able to do, such as high school graduation, drop-out rates, and post-secondary education enrollment, which collectively account for two-thirds of the points in the overall ranking. Further, some achievement outcomes they use count some students’ performance twice.

“Schools need accountability, not more money,” Trabert said. “But if they don’t get their way, it’s only a matter of time before they sue taxpayers again.”

(Editor’s Note: This column is updated to reflect revised enrollment numbers.)

 

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