It’s a classic sunk cost situation. Oregon has already invested so damn much money into K-12 education that, despite poor results, it is reluctant to change course to better serve students.

Georgetown University’s Edunomics Lab analyzed ROI data from 2013-2024 (NAEP 4th grade reading and 8th grade math scores alongside per-pupil spending) to see which states have been more (or less) successful at leveraging dollars to deliver academic improvement.

Here’s a look at the trends in Oregon:

Now Governor Tina Kotek and wants to invest even more money in education that would translate into a historic peak in K-12 school funding for the state.

Not only is Kotek proposing a budget that would be an historic high in school funding, but some politicians and education leaders want even more.

Will it ever end?