The National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) released their annual State Expenditure Report in late December. It is chock-full of interesting budget information.
Between FY 2010 and FY 2012, spending increased in most states. The North Carolina General Assembly increased overall state funds by 6.3 percent between FY 2010 and FY 2011. In the Southeast, only Florida and Tennessee had a larger increase in state spending. Between FY 2011 and FY 2012, the state legislature increased budget expenditures by 4.5 percent, which hovers around the median for states in the Southeast during this period.
As for state spending on elementary and secondary education, North Carolina reduced state education spending by 1.3 percent between FY 2010 and FY 2011. A year later, state education spending jumped by 9.9 percent, the second largest increase of any state in the Southeast and the third largest increase of any state in the nation. Let me say that again. Between FY 2011 and FY 2012, state education spending jumped by 9.9 percent, the second largest increase of any state in the Southeast and the third largest increase of any state in the nation.
Annual Percentage Change in Elementary and Secondary Education Expenditures
| State | FY 2010 to FY 2011 | Rank | FY 2011 to FY 2012 | Rank |
| Ohio | (12.1) | 49 | 14.1 | 1 |
| Tennessee | (1.3) | 33 | 13.5 | 2 |
| North Carolina | (1.3) | 32 | 9.9 | 3 |
| Montana | (3.4) | 41 | 9.3 | 4 |
| Minnesota | 13.9 | 2 | 9.2 | 5 |
| Oregon | (5.9) | 46 | 9.2 | 6 |
| Delaware | 1.2 | 25 | 8.9 | 7 |
| Hawaii | (0.4) | 31 | 8.9 | 8 |
| Missouri | 0.6 | 27 | 8.4 | 9 |
| Louisiana | (3.6) | 42 | 8.2 | 10 |
| Maryland | 1.4 | 22 | 6.9 | 11 |
| Washington | (4.1) | 43 | 6.9 | 12 |
| Vermont | 0.9 | 26 | 6.7 | 13 |
| Nevada | (2.5) | 37 | 6.4 | 14 |
| New Jersey | 6.1 | 9 | 5.7 | 15 |
| Utah | 1.3 | 24 | 5.5 | 16 |
| North Dakota | 9.0 | 5 | 5.3 | 17 |
| Alaska | 4.9 | 13 | 5.0 | 18 |
| Kentucky | 2.0 | 19 | 4.8 | 19 |
| Alabama | 3.8 | 14 | 4.6 | 20 |
| Massachusetts | (2.0) | 35 | 4.6 | 21 |
| Arizona | (3.4) | 40 | 3.9 | 22 |
| New Mexico | (8.8) | 48 | 3.4 | 23 |
| Kansas | 10.1 | 3 | 3.3 | 24 |
| Rhode Island | 6.0 | 10 | 3.2 | 25 |
| Virginia | (1.5) | 34 | 3.2 | 26 |
| Iowa | 5.2 | 12 | 2.7 | 27 |
| Michigan | 1.5 | 21 | 2.6 | 28 |
| New Hampshire | 17.5 | 1 | 2.4 | 29 |
| South Carolina | 3.6 | 15 | 2.4 | 30 |
| Connecticut | 1.8 | 20 | 2.1 | 31 |
| Texas | 8.2 | 6 | 1.8 | 32 |
| Colorado | (7.8) | 47 | 1.8 | 33 |
| Pennsylvania | (0.2) | 29 | 1.5 | 34 |
| Florida | 9.5 | 4 | 1.0 | 35 |
| Arkansas | 0.3 | 28 | 1.0 | 36 |
| Nebraska | (2.2) | 36 | 0.9 | 37 |
| Oklahoma | 7.7 | 8 | 0.8 | 38 |
| Wyoming | (82.9) | 50 | 0.7 | 39 |
| West Virginia | 3.6 | 16 | 0.5 | 40 |
| New York | (3.0) | 38 | 0.4 | 41 |
| Indiana | 2.0 | 18 | 0.1 | 42 |
| California | 2.5 | 17 | (0.2) | 43 |
| Georgia | 7.8 | 7 | (1.4) | 44 |
| Illinois | (4.7) | 44 | (2.5) | 45 |
| Maine | (3.3) | 39 | (2.7) | 46 |
| Mississippi | 1.3 | 23 | (3.6) | 47 |
| Idaho | (4.8) | 45 | (5.2) | 48 |
| Wisconsin | 5.5 | 11 | (6.3) | 49 |
| South Dakota | (0.3) | 30 | (7.4) | 50 |
