Did Kentucky cut education funding after 2008 – Not hardly!

We see a lot of claims from certain Kentucky organizations that Kentucky has seen one of the largest cuts in education funding since 2008. However, according to the latest available audited data from the Kentucky Department of Education, claims of cuts, even in the state’s contribution to overall funding, simply are not true.

We accessed the Kentucky Department of Education’s Receipts and Expenditures report for 2007-08 and the now renamed Revenue and Expenditures report for 2016-17.

The state source revenue amounts per pupil from these reports are summarized in the table below as $4,892 per pupil in the 2007-08 school year and $6,837 per pupil in the latest available audited data for 2016-17.

We converted that $6,837 figure for 2016-17 into an inflation-adjusted equivalent amount for 2008 using the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ online CPI Inflation Calculator. Per the CPI Inflation Calculator, the 2016-17 figure is $5,943 in constant 2008 dollars.

So, even after we adjust for inflation, the most recent annual state level education revenue for our schools has increased by more than $1,000 since 2008. And, let’s stress this again, this is based on audited financial reports about what was really collected for education from state funding sources. It isn’t based on shadowy budget projections and other stuff that simply does not reflect what actually happened.

Thus, people telling us that Kentucky’s education funding has seen one of the worst cuts since 2008 simply are wrong. Kentucky has not experienced an education funding cut. Official, audited Kentucky Department of Education financial reports say so.