Using data compiled by the National Center for Education Statistics on school district spending by state, this table shows the top 15 states that in 20221 allocated more than $1,000,000,000 to student support services - which include school counseling programs.

Arizona's inclusion in this list - among the larger, wealthier and more populous states like Ohio, California, New York, Florida, Texas and Virginia - is curious. And alarming. Consider this:

• In 2022 Arizona's total education budget was the smallest in this list at $11.6B, almost $7B less than North Carolina, the next smallest; and absolutely dwarfed by California's $98.6B budget.

• For comparison, North Carolina's total enrollment in public schools that year was 1.5M students, over 400,000 students more than Arizona's 1.1M students in 2022. That North Carolina spent $7B more than Arizona to educate only 35% more students is not insignificant.

• New York's education budget, with 2.5m students in 2022 (a little over 2.2X the number of Arizona), spent a whopping 7-times the amount. 

The point I'm making is not that Arizona spends less than other states - it's that, given its smaller budget, you'd think school districts would be more cautious to spend what little they have more wisely.