Arizona spends less per pupil on education than almost any other state, according to a report issued Monday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Arizona's public elementary and secondary schools spent $7,608 per pupil in 2007-08, which was only 74 percent of the national average of $10,259 per pupil.

New York's public elementary and secondary schools spent $17,173 per pupil in 2007-08, leading the nation. Spending there was 67 percent higher than the national average.

New Jersey was second at $16,491 per pupil, followed by Alaska at $14,630, the District of Columbia at $14,594 and Vermont at $14,300

Three Western states spent the least: Utah ($5,765 per pupil), Idaho ($6,931) and Arizona ($7,608).

Click here for breakdowns of public education spending in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The new figures are contained in "Public Education Finances: 2008," a Census Bureau report that provides data on revenues, expenditures, debt and assets of elementary and secondary public school systems.

"This report on public school spending shows us how taxpayer money is being spent on education," said Lisa Blumerman, chief of the bureau's Governments Division. "Public education is the single largest category of all state and local government expenditures. These data provide a detailed picture of how available resources are spent within the public education system."

Public school systems across the country received $582.1 billion in funding in 2008, up 4.5 percent from 2007.

Meanwhile our legislators and governor wonder why companies don't want to move their operations to Arizona. Go figure.