Facts and Figures About States With Lowest State Funding for Rural Schools


Last Updated: November 28, 2011
 

This article appeared in the November 2011 Rural Policy Matters.

Question: Which six states spend the lowest percentage of state education funds on rural schools?

Answer: It is no surprise that the states that spend the least on rural education have populations that are largely concentrated in urban areas. These states include Massachusetts, which spends 4.1% of its education budget on rural schools, followed by Rhode Island (4.4%), California (5.1%), Nevada (5.1%), Delaware (5.6%), and Utah (6.5%). It should be noted, however, that California actually has a large rural population, but the rural population is a small percentage of the state’s total number of residents. Nevada and Utah have vast areas with very low population densities, but most of their residents are concentrated in a few urban areas.

Data Source: National Center for Education Statistics. Published in Why Rural Matters 2009, Rural School and Community Trust, www.ruraledu.org. 

Read more from the November 2011 Rural Policy Matters.