Arizona is ranked lowest in the country for per-pupil spending and among the highest for student-teacher ratio, a national report found.
The National Education Association's annual Rankings and Estimates also took a look at teacher salaries, student enrollment and financial expenditures for public education.
In the area of per-pupil spending, the education association determined the average per student expenditure across the country last school year was $10,586.
Arizona was found to spend $6,170 per student - one of the lowest in the country, while states including New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Rhode Island and Wyoming spent upward of $15,000 per student. Other states found to have low per-pupil spending include Utah, Mississippi, Nevada and Idaho.
Arizona also ranked as being among states with the highest number of students enrolled per teacher. At the top of the list with 22.4 students per teacher was Utah, followed by California, Washington and then Arizona with 18.9 - compared with an average of 15.3 students per teacher across the country.
Though the study shows that Arizona has a higher student-teacher ratio, it also found that on average teachers in the state are being paid less than teachers across the country. The U.S. average public school teacher salary for last school year was $55,202. In Arizona it was $46,952.
Contact reporter Alexis Huicochea at ahuicochea@azstarnet.com or 573-4175.
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