Chapter 2: State Revenues

In the United States, inflation-adjusted state revenues¹³ increased from $137.9 billion in FY 90 to $206.8 billion in FY 02 (table 3.a). These figures indicate that state revenues increased by $68.9 billion, or 50 percent, between these years (table 3.b). State revenues increased the most between FY 90 and FY02 in New Hampshire (789 percent).¹⁴ Alaska and North Dakota experienced the only decreases in state revenues between these years (7 percent and 1 percent, respectively).

Annual percent change ranged from a low of 0 percent to a high of 6 percent from FY 90 through FY 02. (figure 2-7). All states but Arizona, Colorado and Wisconsin experienced at least one decrease in state revenues over the 13-year period (table 3.b).

• View Figure 2-7

State revenues per pupil

In FY 90, inflation-adjusted state revenues per pupil were $3,401 in the United States (figure 2-8) and ranged from a low of $619 in New Hampshire to a high of $7,998 in Alaska (table 3.c). By FY 02, state revenues per pupil increased to $4,341 in the United States and ranged from a low of $2,306 in Nevada to a high of $7,573 in Vermont. State revenues per pupil in Hawaii were $9,126 in FY 02, but Hawaii provides public education through a single school district that is funded almost entirely through state revenues and is therefore not comparable to other states.

• View Figure 2-8

Between FY 90 and FY 02, state revenues per pupil increased $940 in the United States, or 28 percent (table 3.d). They increased most in New Hampshire between these years (638 percent); Alaska, Florida, Nevada and Pennsylvania experienced declines in state revenues per pupil (24 percent, 16 percent, 6 percent, and 3 percent, respectively). Among the states, the median percent change between FY 90 and FY 02 was 30 percent (derived from table 3.d).

From FY 90 through FY 94, the annual percent change ranged from a 2 percent decline to 0 percent. From FY 94 through FY 02 annual percent change fluctuated from a low of 1 percent to a high of 6 percent. All states experienced at least one decrease in state revenues per pupil from FY 90 through FY 02.

Percentage of total revenues: State revenues

In the United States, state contributions toward public elementary and secondary education was about 47 percent of total revenues in FY 90 (table 3.e). By FY 02, this figure had increased to over 49 percent.

In FY 90, percentages of state revenues ranged from a low of 8 percent of all revenues in New Hampshire to a high of 73 percent in New Mexico. Hawaii's percentage of state revenues to total revenues was 88 percent.¹⁵ By FY 02, the percentage of state revenues ranged from a low of 32 percent in Nevada to a high of 72 percent in New Mexico. Percentage of state revenues to total revenues in FY 02 was 89 percent in Hawaii.

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