The axis of taxes claims that budget cuts will kill people and roll back 15 years of progress.

Terry Stoops and I decided to test that claim in education.

In 1992-93, the state spent $4,249 per pupil (in 2007 dollars) and 65.6 percent of 9th graders made it through 12th grade. In 2007-08, the state spent $5616 per pupil and 70.3 percent of students finished high school in four years. Per student spending was one-third higher and the graduation rate rose just 4.7 percent. That’s what I call progress.

The school administrator population has increased 18 percent versus enrollment growth of 13 percent since 2000.