Does K-12 funding=High ACT Scores?

The usual suspects will be squealing that Nevada doesn’t spend enough on education when ACT test score numbers are published far and wide. Thomas Mitchell, on his 4TH ST8 blog simply prints the graph and lets the numbers speak for themselves. Nevada student ACT takers finished last in all categories.  The Nevada average composite was 17.8. Only 38% met the english benchmark, 27% hit the benchmark in reading, 21% in math, and 19% in science.

So will more money push up those scores?   The website Governing.com gives us the spending numbers. What states spend the least on education (2014 numbers)? Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Oklahoma, Mississippi, then Nevada.

Utah’s composite score was 20.3, Idaho 22.3, Arizona 19.7, Oklahoma 19.4, and Mississippi 18.6.  The national average was 21.

States back east funnel loads of money at education, and they sport some higher scores. However, the taxes are driving people out of those states. Out west, Alaska and Wyoming spend a ton on k-12 (over $15,000/student/year) and only have scores of 19.8 and 20.2, respectively to show for it. Utah and Idaho spend less than half what Alaska and Wyoming spend and have higher scores.