Tied for 49th

From the May 1st Education Intelligence Agency Communique:

We're Number 49! No, We Are! EIA gets tons of reports, policy papers and other assorted documents from people and organizations with an interest in public education. And – to be perfectly honest – unless it has something in it that is immediately eye-catching, I'm not going to spend too much time with it.

But, while thumbing through a March 2006 report from the Independence Institute titled, "Counting the Cash for K-12: The Facts about Per-Pupil Spending in Colorado," I came across a graphic that illustrates why it pays to be skeptical.

The institute found that "at least 10 states claimed in 2004 or 2005 to rank 49^th in education funding."

The list includes Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Utah. (emphasis added)

Call it the reverse Lake Wobegon effect. When it comes to funding, everyone claims to be below average.