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FACT BRIEF

Was Wisconsin's public school spending the third-slowest growing in the nation between 2002 and 2020?

By Jacob Alabab-Moser
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YES

Wisconsin had the third-slowest increase in PreK-12 education spending per student in the nation between 2002 and 2020, according to a Wisconsin Policy Forum analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. 

The only states with slower spending increases were Idaho and Indiana. Wisconsin's increase of 48.6% — from $8,574 to $12,740 per student— was significantly lower than the national average of 75.2% — from $7,701 to $13,494.

Wisconsin's spending per pupil ranked 25th in the nation and was nearly 6% lower than the national average for 2020. Given that the state had the 11th highest per-pupil spending in the nation in 2002, the drop in ranking over the past two decades has been "dramatic," a Wisconsin Policy Forum researcher told WPR.

Less property and income taxation at the local and state levels in Wisconsin has been a major factor behind the slower growth in education spending, the forum found.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Wisconsin Policy Forum Wisconsin’s ranks in school spending, tax burden fall together
Wisconsin Public Radio Public school spending in Wisconsin saw third-slowest growth in nation
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Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.