Last week, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction released per-student expenditure data for the 2017-18 school year.
While most districts increased spending from 2017 to 2018, 10 districts spent less. Overall, the state per-student expenditure increased by $306 compared to the year before, a 3.3 percent increase.
| Name | 2018 Total | 2017 Total | Difference |
| STATE TOTAL | $ 9,478 | $ 9,172 | $ 306 |
| Alamance-Burlington Schools | $ 8,919 | $ 8,588 | $ 331 |
| Alexander County Schools | $ 9,381 | $ 8,988 | $ 393 |
| Alleghany County Schools | $ 12,142 | $ 11,995 | $ 147 |
| Anson County Schools | $ 10,600 | $ 10,456 | $ 144 |
| Ashe County Schools | $ 10,614 | $ 10,396 | $ 218 |
| Asheboro City Schools | $ 9,857 | $ 9,436 | $ 421 |
| Asheville City Schools | $ 12,790 | $ 11,601 | $ 1,188 |
| Avery County Schools | $ 12,018 | $ 11,930 | $ 88 |
| Beaufort County Schools | $ 10,215 | $ 9,712 | $ 503 |
| Bertie County Schools | $ 11,809 | $ 12,362 | $ (553) |
| Bladen County Schools | $ 10,683 | $ 9,919 | $ 764 |
| Brunswick County Schools | $ 10,043 | $ 9,740 | $ 303 |
| Buncombe County Schools | $ 9,940 | $ 9,406 | $ 535 |
| Burke County Schools | $ 9,139 | $ 8,832 | $ 307 |
| Cabarrus County Schools | $ 8,556 | $ 8,352 | $ 203 |
| Caldwell County Schools | $ 9,779 | $ 9,294 | $ 486 |
| Camden County Schools | $ 9,686 | $ 9,387 | $ 300 |
| Carteret County Schools | $ 9,914 | $ 9,722 | $ 191 |
| Caswell County Schools | $ 10,723 | $ 9,963 | $ 760 |
| Catawba County Schools | $ 8,435 | $ 8,371 | $ 64 |
| Chapel-Hill/Carrboro City Schools | $ 12,250 | $ 12,017 | $ 233 |
| Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools | $ 9,178 | $ 8,842 | $ 336 |
| Chatham County Schools | $ 10,437 | $ 10,180 | $ 257 |
| Cherokee County Schools | $ 11,183 | $ 10,860 | $ 323 |
| Clay County Schools | $ 11,190 | $ 10,593 | $ 597 |
| Cleveland County Schools | $ 9,702 | $ 9,676 | $ 27 |
| Clinton City Schools | $ 9,854 | $ 9,454 | $ 400 |
| Columbus County Schools | $ 9,929 | $ 9,911 | $ 18 |
| Craven County Schools | $ 8,914 | $ 8,431 | $ 483 |
| Cumberland County Schools | $ 8,991 | $ 8,495 | $ 496 |
| Currituck County Schools | $ 9,795 | $ 9,639 | $ 156 |
| Dare County Schools | $ 11,592 | $ 11,217 | $ 375 |
| Davidson County Schools | $ 8,455 | $ 8,253 | $ 202 |
| Davie County Schools | $ 9,431 | $ 8,904 | $ 527 |
| Duplin County Schools | $ 9,309 | $ 9,248 | $ 61 |
| Durham County Schools | $ 11,084 | $ 10,641 | $ 443 |
| Edenton-Chowan County Schools | $ 11,124 | $ 10,635 | $ 489 |
| Edgecombe County Schools | $ 10,355 | $ 9,728 | $ 627 |
| Elkin City Schools | $ 10,085 | $ 10,086 | $ (1) |
| Forsyth County Schools | $ 9,612 | $ 9,234 | $ 378 |
| Franklin County Schools | $ 9,449 | $ 9,029 | $ 421 |
| Gaston County Schools | $ 8,794 | $ 8,497 | $ 297 |
| Gates County Schools | $ 11,581 | $ 11,569 | $ 12 |
| Graham County Schools | $ 12,318 | $ 11,963 | $ 355 |
| Granville County Schools | $ 9,593 | $ 9,286 | $ 307 |
| Greene County Schools | $ 10,627 | $ 10,247 | $ 381 |
| Guilford County Schools | $ 9,807 | $ 9,767 | $ 41 |
| Halifax County Schools | $ 12,938 | $ 11,550 | $ 1,388 |
| Harnett County Schools | $ 8,681 | $ 8,498 | $ 183 |
| Haywood County Schools | $ 9,473 | $ 9,170 | $ 303 |
| Henderson County Schools | $ 9,009 | $ 8,732 | $ 278 |
| Hertford County Schools | $ 11,446 | $ 10,775 | $ 671 |
| Hickory City Schools | $ 9,138 | $ 8,920 | $ 218 |
| Hoke County Schools | $ 8,989 | $ 8,869 | $ 120 |
| Hyde County Schools | $ 18,283 | $ 17,719 | $ 564 |
| Iredell-Statesville Schools | $ 8,606 | $ 8,253 | $ 353 |
| Jackson County Schools | $ 9,991 | $ 9,709 | $ 282 |
| Johnston County Schools | $ 8,720 | $ 8,575 | $ 145 |
| Jones County Schools | $ 14,113 | $ 13,061 | $ 1,052 |
| Kannapolis City Schools | $ 9,400 | $ 9,249 | $ 151 |
| Lee County Schools | $ 9,367 | $ 9,048 | $ 319 |
| Lenoir County Schools | $ 9,414 | $ 9,149 | $ 265 |
| Lexington City Schools | $ 10,593 | $ 10,260 | $ 333 |
| Lincoln County Schools | $ 8,188 | $ 8,151 | $ 37 |
| Macon County Schools | $ 9,857 | $ 9,894 | $ (37) |
| Madison County Schools | $ 10,580 | $ 10,651 | $ (71) |
| Martin County Schools | $ 11,499 | $ 11,001 | $ 498 |
| McDowell County Schools | $ 9,731 | $ 9,439 | $ 292 |
| Mitchell County Schools | $ 10,887 | $ 10,846 | $ 41 |
| Montgomery County Schools | $ 10,636 | $ 10,651 | $ (15) |
| Moore County Schools | $ 9,353 | $ 8,952 | $ 401 |
| Mooresville City Schools | $ 9,359 | $ 8,969 | $ 390 |
| Mount Airy City Schools | $ 10,845 | $ 10,442 | $ 403 |
| Nash-Rocky Mount Schools | $ 9,425 | $ 9,276 | $ 150 |
| New Hanover County Schools | $ 9,914 | $ 9,723 | $ 191 |
| Newton-Conover City Schools | $ 9,660 | $ 9,525 | $ 135 |
| Northampton County Schools | $ 14,467 | $ 13,866 | $ 602 |
| Onslow County Schools | $ 8,794 | $ 8,391 | $ 403 |
| Orange County Schools | $ 11,341 | $ 11,012 | $ 329 |
| Pamlico County Schools | $ 13,334 | $ 12,858 | $ 476 |
| Pasquotank County Schools | $ 10,132 | $ 9,704 | $ 428 |
| Pender County Schools | $ 8,944 | $ 8,526 | $ 418 |
| Perquimans County Schools | $ 11,474 | $ 11,089 | $ 385 |
| Person County Schools | $ 9,984 | $ 9,561 | $ 423 |
| Pitt County Schools | $ 9,166 | $ 8,823 | $ 343 |
| Polk County Schools | $ 12,015 | $ 11,492 | $ 522 |
| Randolph County Schools | $ 8,812 | $ 8,513 | $ 299 |
| Richmond County Schools | $ 9,672 | $ 9,305 | $ 367 |
| Roanoke Rapids City Schools | $ 9,752 | $ 9,394 | $ 358 |
| Robeson County Schools | $ 10,145 | $ 9,407 | $ 738 |
| Rockingham County Schools | $ 9,135 | $ 8,779 | $ 355 |
| Rowan-Salisbury County Schools | $ 9,683 | $ 9,206 | $ 478 |
| Rutherford County Schools | $ 10,093 | $ 9,819 | $ 274 |
| Sampson County Schools | $ 9,263 | $ 8,977 | $ 286 |
| Scotland County Schools | $ 11,005 | $ 10,641 | $ 365 |
| Stanly County Schools | $ 8,906 | $ 8,639 | $ 267 |
| Stokes County Schools | $ 10,102 | $ 9,771 | $ 331 |
| Surry County Schools | $ 9,430 | $ 9,117 | $ 314 |
| Swain County Schools | $ 11,223 | $ 11,193 | $ 30 |
| Thomasville City Schools | $ 11,394 | $ 10,716 | $ 678 |
| Transylvania County Schools | $ 10,891 | $ 10,980 | $ (89) |
| Tyrrell County Schools | $ 15,240 | $ 14,716 | $ 524 |
| Union County Schools | $ 8,670 | $ 8,403 | $ 267 |
| Vance County Schools | $ 10,655 | $ 10,836 | $ (181) |
| Wake County Schools | $ 9,080 | $ 8,742 | $ 338 |
| Warren County Schools | $ 12,863 | $ 12,093 | $ 770 |
| Washington County Schools | $ 13,429 | $ 12,676 | $ 753 |
| Watauga County Schools | $ 10,188 | $ 10,257 | $ (70) |
| Wayne County Schools | $ 9,118 | $ 8,894 | $ 224 |
| Weldon City Schools | $ 14,890 | $ 14,636 | $ 254 |
| Whiteville City Schools | $ 9,817 | $ 9,826 | $ (9) |
| Wilkes County Schools | $ 9,172 | $ 9,008 | $ 164 |
| Wilson County Schools | $ 9,376 | $ 8,822 | $ 555 |
| Yadkin County Schools | $ 9,510 | $ 9,584 | $ (74) |
| Yancey County Schools | $ 10,936 | $ 10,818 | $ 118 |
