New Study Shows You Don’t Have to Break the Bank to Improve Public Schools

In an age when many education advocates stress massive budgets as essential to public school progress, the Magnolia State is providing a counterpoint. (The American Saga)

A new study by economist Noah Spencer: Despite being the poorest state in the U.S., Mississippi improved its fourth-grade reading rank from 49th in 2013 to 29th in 2019 (NAEP) through the Literacy-Based Promotion Act.

• The LBPA featured an array of reforms and programs focused on phonics, pre-K expansion, teacher development and mandatory grade retention for struggling readers.

Efficiency: The LBPA cost a modest $15 million per year out of the state’s $7.6 billion budget.

Contrast: In the face of fierce opposition, the teachers union in Chicago, which already spends nearly double the national average per public school student, is currently demanding $1.1 billion in additional funding from the cash-strapped city government.

Big picture: The U.S. spends more than almost any other country on education.

Inflation-adjusted K-12 education costs have steadily increased nationwide.

Funding per student has increased dramatically, but it’s not being spent on teacher salaries, which (when you adjust for inflation) have plateaued for decades.

Administrative staff hiring is greatly outpacing growth of teachers and students.