Today I received an N.C. Justice Center pamphlet that compared per-student expenditures in North and South Carolina. According to the pamphlet, North Carolina spends $9,547, while South Carolina spends $11,913 per student. (Note: The pamphlet did not reference a data source.)
What accounts for the discrepancy? The answer is local funds. In South Carolina, education revenue is distributed faily evenly between localities and the state. In North Carolina, the state contributes much more than the localities.
South Carolina, 2016-17 (per S.C. Department of Education)
Federal: $1,232
State: $5,607
Local: $5,553
North Carolina, 2016-17 (per N.C. Department of Public Instruction)
Federal: $1,017
State: $5,957
Local: $2,199
In other words, if the #WalkoutWednesday folks want to match South Carolina’s per-student expenditure, they would ask their county commissions to spend more.
