The report, released Tuesday by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, shows Utah's per-pupil spending has fallen 8.1 percent when adjusted for inflation since 2008. That figure puts Utah behind 26 states that either increased per-pupil spending or decreased by a smaller percentage.
The state continues to have the lowest base per-pupil spending in the U.S. However, according to the report, Utah was among a minority of 22 states that increased funding for the 2012-13 academic year.
On Tuesday, the group Voices for Utah Children responded to the report by condemning the cuts made to education by the state Legislature, saying they put Utah's long-term prosperity in jeopardy.
"We can get by with being in the middle of the pack but that won't change anything about the fact that we're at the bottom for per-pupil spending," said Allison Rowland, the group's director of research and budget. "We can keep trying to get the cheapest education we can, or we can make changes to improve education."
Rowland said Utah's ranking in the report shows that things could be worse, and credited state legislators with their careful managing of the state budget during the recession. But she said there's only so much fat to be trimmed away in education before budget knives start striking bone.
According to the most recent annual report by the Utah State Office of Education, per-pupil spending in Utah was $6,078 in 2011, compared to the national average of $10,425. Without accounting for inflation, Utah's spending stayed relatively constant since 2008, when per-pupil spending was $6,086.
Williams also said the Legislature's decision to increase funding for the current academic year is encouraging. He said it hopefully is an indication that the state is stepping out of the economic downturn.KSL
