Oklahoma capital outlays have risen dramatically

Cato Institute scholar Neal McCluskey has a post today showing total, inflation-adjusted, per-pupil expenditures on Oklahoma's public elementary and secondary schools going back to 1999 ("the only span of years for which the federal government has readily available, total per-pupil spending data for public K-12 schools at the state level").

Total spending rose "from $8,310 per student in 99-00 to $9,114 in 14-15, a nearly 10 percent increase," he writes. "However, instructional spending barely rose at all—just $7. The biggest increase was in capital outlays, which spiked 79 percent, or by $427. The next largest increase proportionally was for other support services, which increased almost 48 percent. After the recession, instructional spending dropped 13 percent, but capital outlays rose 36 percent, and a couple of support services saw upticks."

Did I mention that Tulsa Union is spending $22.5 million on a stadium project?