Just completed a small research project using the WA state websites I noted in another comment here. Here are the 10 best academically performing WA state school districts according to the OSPI "Report Card", and, their expenditure per kid:
Camas - $10,463/kid
Northshore - $11,352/kid
Lake Washington - $11,191/kid
Issaquah - $11,658/kid
Snoqualmie Valley - $10,868/kid
Bellevue - $13,414/kid
Tahoma - $10,795/kid
Lake Stevens - $11,055/kid
University Place - $11,039/kid
Sumner - $11,808/kid
All of the districts, excepting Bellevue, achieve this high success in academics with LESS expenditure than the WA state average of $12,301 per kid. These 10 districts achieve it with an average expenditure of $11,364 per kid, nearly $1,000 less!
It's no small sample of WA state's finest, either, 128,985 kids in those 10 districts!
This clearly flies in the face of John's claim above, does it not?
Maybe, just maybe, things might be looked at again?