Surprisingly, expenditures per pupil in Washington and Chisago Counties were lower than the state of Minnesota average.
Other than Pierce County, the Wisconsin counties in the St. Croix River Valley spent slightly more per pupil than the state average.
Wisconsin’s expenditures per pupil tended to be higher than those in Minnesota.
Expenditures per pupil in Wisconsin have been increasing at a fairly steady rate in most jurisdictions; for example, expenditures have increased by about $270/pupil/year in Polk County.
Pierce County has consistently spent less than the state average in terms of expenditures per pupil per year.
Note, the vertical axis starts at $10,000 rather than $0.
Expenditures per pupil have been increasing a fairly steady rates in all three jurisdictions shown in the graph; for example, the increase in Washington County has averaged nearly $400 per pupil per year.
The graph shows that the lower-than-state-average expenditures per pupil noted for Washington and Chisago in 2019, were not flukes. Both counties have consistently been lower than the Minnesota average.
Note, the vertical axis starts at $10,000 rather than $0.