ALBANY, NY (October 21, 2025) — New York state’s public education system is pouring record amounts of money into classrooms while student performance in math and reading hits historic lows, according to a new analysis by the Empire Center for Public Policy.
The report, titled “An Eerie Silence About the State of Education in New York by Zilvinas Silenas,” highlights how 12th-grade math and reading scores nationwide have reached record lows in the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress results. While the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the problem, the decline in New York began well before the 2020 school shutdowns.
In reading, New York’s fourth-graders scored above the U.S. average on the NAEP but trailed top performers like Massachusetts and New Jersey. The state also lagged behind Mississippi, one of the nation’s poorest states. New York’s scores exceeded the national average in the 2000s but began dipping in the 2010s before a sharp drop during the pandemic.
Eighth-grade reading followed a similar path, surpassing the U.S. average in the 2000s but falling behind in the 2010s. In 2024, the state recorded its lowest score ever.
Mathematics scores paint an even starker picture for younger students. New York’s fourth-graders scored three points below the national average, underperforming states like Alabama, Missouri and Louisiana. Massachusetts led the country in this category.
For eighth-grade math, New York edged out the U.S. average with a score of 271 compared to 272 nationally. Like reading, fourth-grade math scores beat the national average until 2011, when they began to lag, followed by a severe decline during COVID-19. The eighth-grade drop was less dramatic.
Despite these trends, New York’s education spending continues to climb. The state spent more than $30,000 per student in the 2022-23 school year, nearly double the U.S. average of $16,500. That figure tops spending in any country worldwide, yet outcomes remain mediocre.
Massachusetts, the highest-performing state, spends 24 percent less per pupil than New York. Mississippi, which beats New York in fourth-grade reading and math, spends just 40 percent as much.
The Empire Center notes that New York’s outspending of other states dates back half a century, with the gap widening over time. From 1968 to 2021, national per-pupil spending rose 173 percent in inflation-adjusted terms, from $5,960 to $16,280. New York’s jumped 214 percent, from $9,475 to $29,720.
Preliminary data suggests spending could hit $35,000 per student in the 2025-26 school year.
The analysis questions the lack of response from state leaders. “The silence of New York’s leaders is confusing,” it states. “Imagine the political firestorm if any other program generated double the cost while achieving mediocre results. When electricity prices recently went up, New York’s politicians and activists erupted with outrage.”
“New York’s education system has been spending piles of money and underperforming for more than a decade now. Where are the calls for reform?” the report asks.
This article is based on the Empire Center’s publication “An Eerie Silence About the State of Education in New York,” authored by the Empire Center staff and published online. The Empire Center for Public Policy, an independent, non-partisan think tank in Albany, promotes free-market principles and accountable government. The full analysis is available at empirecenter.org.
This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.