Utah continues to rank last in spending per student

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Once again, Utah ranks last in the country in the amount of money it spends on each student.

A Census Bureau report released Tuesday says Utah spent about $5,400 per student in 2006. The national average was about $9,100.

State lawmakers have increased education spending, but Utah's rapid population growth makes it difficult to gain ground. The state, which has the nation's highest birth rate, had 525,000 students in 2006.

The report says New York spent the most per student in 2006, more than $14,400. Utah is a notch below Idaho, which spent about $1,000 more per student than Utah.

To read the full report, click the related link.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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