TRENTON -- The average cost of educating a public school student in New Jersey eclipsed $20,000 a year for the first time in 2015-16, according to new state data.

The state's school districts and charter schools spent an average of $20,385 per student last school year, a 3.8 percent increase from 2014-15, according to total per-pupil spending data released by the state Department of Education.

Included in the total cost are pension payments the state makes on behalf of school districts and tuition and fees districts paid to send students to other schools, including expensive programs for special education students.

The average spending figure captures the middle ground in a state where some districts spend twice as much as others. Use the tool at the bottom of this story to see how much your district or charter school spent and compare it to any other district in the state.

Data was released as part of the state's annual Taxpayers Guide to Education Spending, an overview of how every district spends taxpayer money. It includes information on revenue sources, median teacher salaries and administrative costs, among other categories.

Special services districts operated by each county to serve special education students top the list of the highest spenders while charter schools primarily occupy the bottom of the list.

Among traditional school districts, Avalon School District, a tiny shore district with about 75 students, spent the most per student, $60,129.

Guttenberg Public School District, a K-8 district in Bergen County, spent the least, $14,422.

Loading...

Carla Astudillo may be reached at castudillo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @carla_astudi. Find her on Facebook.

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.