Even with the small increases made over the past two years, New Mexico is still way behind in providing the funding necessary to build a world-class school system
By Pamela L. Bonner, Ruidoso News
Mar. 12, 2019
New Mexico is one of many states that have failed to increase per-student funding compared to a decade ago, according to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).
There are 26 states that have made larger investments in K-12 students since 2008, per-student funding in New Mexico remained at nine percent less in 2016 than in 2008, after considering inflation.
The report found that New Mexico ranks 33rd in per-pupil funding, after adjusting for the cost of living, poverty, and several other factors that compared the national funding levels after adjusting for various degrees with the following factors:
- Wages across the state
- Poverty in areas (both urban and rural areas)
- Population density (the number of people living in a kilometer square)
- It is more expensive to bus kids in big, sparsely populated states than in dense urban ones
Read more in the Ruidoso News