David Charles Nice
David Charles Nice

Although free for students, public education can cost cities big. In fact, education topped state and local government spending at $869.2 billion in 2012, according to the latest finance data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Even so, the quality of education students receive can vary drastically from city to city, but why?

David Charles Nice, WSU professor of political science, provided expert insights to questions about what makes some city school systems more effective than others; what factors influence a city’s ROI on education spending; how city education budgets fared in the recession and economic recovery; and more.

Find out more about education spending and the return on investment