A Manhattan Institute report asserts that New York spends more per pupil than any other state but gets only "mediocre" results in return, and that the root of the problem is a governance system that neither measures what works nor follows the evidence. The report's own foundational evidence, however, fails to adjust for inflation, the rising cost of the school workforce, regional variation in labor costs, and changes in student needs. In fact, while the report’s figures imply that per-pupil spending grew 124% during the almost two-decade period from 2004-05 to 2023-24, when priced in the cost of school staff compensation, New York's per-pupil spending grew by only 34% over the period in question. The report also ignores a large body of rigorous research showing that money does matter for student outcomes and for the state’s constitutional obligation, and that most of New York’s children attend schools spending well below what it would cost to achieve even current average outcomes. Some of the report's recommendations, like universal early screening and better reporting on special education services, are reasonable. But its headline recommendations—lifting the charter cap, opting into federal tax-credit scholarships and restructuring the Board of Regents—rest on advocacy sources, not evidence. And its proposed "educational return on investment" metric repeats a methodological error addressed in prior NEPC reviews: Simple ratios of outcomes to spending are the wrong tool for comparing institutions serving very different student populations. Overall, the report provides little or no useful guidance for New York policymakers.

Suggested Citation: Baker, B.D. (2026). NEPC Review: The mediocre state of New York State schools. Boulder, CO: National Education Policy Center. Retrieved [date], from https://nepc.colorado.edu/review/ny-state