Study: Austerity has left states behind by billions on education

Austerity has been the biggest impediment to the advancement of education on all levels in the United States, according to the latest data in a report from the American Federation of Teachers.

The state of play: Many states were able to work their way out of the recession due to a stimulus package commissioned by the Obama administration and a $145 billion relief appropriation from congress to states, with school districts receiving $80 billion for relief.

• That funding ran dry in 2011, the study says, and states never adjusted their tax rates to maintain a steady stream of revenue for their school districts.

The big picture: Per the report, 25 states having spent less on education in 2016 than they did in 2008 when the economy sunk into a recession. There were 41 states that funded higher education institutions less-so in 2016 than they did in 2008.

By the numbers: Education has lost billions in state funding behind tax cuts — particularly in Republican states, according to the study.

• A decade after the great recession, K-12 schools are still underfunded as a result of $19 billion in state tax cuts.
• Higher education took a big hit as well, falling behind by $15 billion after the recession.

• Tuition for two-year degrees in 2017 rose at three times the rate of inflation compared to 2008. Four-year college degrees continued to rise in cost as well.
• Of the 25 states that have fallen behind in K-12 education funding, 18 are taxing their residents less since the recession.

Teacher pay has also fallen in 38 states since 2010, which has been at the center of the teacher strikes from around the nation.

What they're saying: Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, said elected officials — many of whom are Republicans — are responsible.

"When legislators choose to prioritize millionaires over children, our country suffers."