NC stays near bottom in latest U.S. school funding rankings [Video]

North Carolina remains near the bottom of national rankings for education funding. That’s according to the latest edition of the annual “Making the Grade” report by the nonprofit Education Law Center.

The state received an F for education funding, an F for the percentage of its gross domestic product it spends on education, and a B for directing extra funding to lower-income counties.

According to the center’s analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data for the year 2022 (the most recent year for which data are available), North Carolina ranked 48th out of 50 states and the District of Columbia, spending $11,777 in state and local revenue per public school student in pre-k through 12th grade. That’s 30 percent below the national average expenditure of $16,131 per student.

North Carolina also ranked 48th in 2021. Even though state and local governments here increased per-pupil spending by $514 in 2022, other states …