By
The Associated Press
For a second year in a row, Arizona was second from the bottom in a national report on spending for education.
"This does not surprise us at all," said John Wright, vice president of the Arizona Education Association. "But it's our strong hope that Proposition 301 will pull us up in that ranking."
Proposition 301 authorized a sales tax increase earmarked for education. It's expected to produce $320 million next year.
However, the state Department of Education estimates that will provide an additional $325 per student. That would have raised Arizona to 47th rather than 49th if it had been in place last year.
Arizona spent $4,879 per student in fiscal 2000, according to the report by the National Center for Education Statistics. New Jersey held onto its top spot with $10,594 per student.
