Picking Up the Tab

True Cost of Federal Education Testing Law

Several statewide studies show "No Child Left Behind" is costing billions and sticking states and school districts with the tab.

Chronic and severe funding shortfalls have put states in an untenable position:
use state and local funds to meet costly federal regulations or lose federal funds for the neediest students.

State Cost Studies

Connecticut

Connecticut State Department of Education Study (PDF, 36 pages)
Through fiscal 2008, approximately $41.6 million of Connecticut taxpayer funds are needed to meet federal regulations.

Hawaii

Hawaii Legislature Commissioned Study  (PDF, 48 pages )
The total cost of federal education regulations from 2003 to 2008 will be more than $191 million.

Minnesota

Minnesota State Auditor Report (PDF, 4 pages)
The estimated cost to the state for student testing alone was $19 million a year.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire School Administrators Association Report  (PDF, 24 pages)
State taxpayers paid 10 times what the state received from Washington to cover costs of the regulations.  The estimated financial impact of the regulations was $224 million, but New Hampshire federal aid for the law $22 million.

Ohio

State of Ohio Commissioned Study  (PDF, 139 pages)
If Ohio taxpayers followed all of the law's rules and regulations through the 2013-2014 school year, they would be shouldered with a $1.4 billion-a-year shortfall.

Texas

Independent University Research Study (PDF, 35 pages)
Texas would need an additional $1.7 billion in funds to bring all districts up to the standards required by federal regulations, yet the increase in federal funds over three years was only $519 million, a burden of $1.18 billion that Texas taxpayers will have to carry.

Utah

State of Utah Report
This report is based on a cost study by the Jordan School District, the state's largest school district : In January 2004, projections showed it would cost the its taxpayers $1.19 billion to meet federal mandates through 2013-2014.

Vermont

State of Vermont Report (PDF, 8 pages)
An October 2002 independent study conducted for Vermont found that the state would receive only $51.6 million to carry out $158.2 million in expenses – leaving $106.6 million for Vermont taxpayers to pay toward new federal education regulations.