Calls for more public school spending are growing louder in states like Texas, Pennsylvania, and New York. "You will see terrible cuts," warned Texas State Representative Jon Rosenthal, who is leading a group of Democratic lawmakers demanding that Gov. Greg Abbott call a special session to boost education funding in the state.

Public school budgets are a mess heading into next school year but it's not for a lack of dollars—President Joe Biden's COVID-19 windfall for public schools is backfiring. During the pandemic, Congress doled out $190 billion in K-12 relief aid, which created a fiscal cliff and helped fuel inflation that's now eating into school districts' budgets.  

The latest federal data from the U.S. Census Bureau show that K-12 spending hit record highs in 2022. On average, public schools received $18,911 per student, with New York leading the country ($35,902 per student), followed by New Jersey ($29,019 per student), Connecticut ($28,363 per student), Vermont ($27,338 per student), and Pennsylvania ($24,917 per student). For its part, Texas spent $14,696 per student—up 16.8% in real terms since 2002.