Idaho's school spending per pupil ranks 50th in the nation for a second straight year, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Census, while Washington's is 32nd, one place worst than last year's ranking of 31st. Washington education officials bemoaned the ranking as too low, but Idaho's said their lower ranking wasn't particularly concerning; Idaho bested only Utah.

"Funding is a factor in education but it’s not the most important factor," said Idaho State Department of Education spokeswoman Melissa McGrath, "and it is not the factor that determines the quality of an education system." She noted that Idaho - like Washington - has higher than average student test scores. The U.S. Department of Education's National Assessment of Educational Progess shows eighth-graders in both states scored above average in reading, math and science in 2011. "In Idaho, our state spends less per student compared to most other states, but our students continually outperform students across the United States in reading, math and in science," McGrath said. "It’s clear that Idaho is doing well spending its resources effectively and efficiently to benefit Idaho students."

The census figures, which are drawn from the 2009-2010 school year, also include rankings for school spending per $1,000 in per-capita income for each state. By that measure, Idaho improved slightly from last year's ranking of 41st, coming in 38th. But it's still far below where the state ranked back in 2001, when it was 17th. Former Idaho state chief economist Mike Ferguson, now the head of the Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy, said that echoes a report he released in April that found that the share of Idaho's personal income that goes to schools dropped 23 percent from 2000 to 2013; his report dubbed that drop "a stunning reduction in the state's commitment to public schools." Ferguson said Wednesday, "The fact is that we've been essentially disinvesting in children." You can read my full story here at spokesman.com.