As reported in Governing, per pupil spending for public elementary and secondary education fell in fiscal year 2011 – the first ever recorded annual decline, according to Census Bureau data released today.

In Maryland, however, per-pupil spending increased $133.09, or 1% from 2010, according to the article.  The national average was influenced by large drops in other states, including New Jersey, Illinois, and Maine where spending dropped more than $800 per student in 2011.

In all, the 50 states and the District of Columbia spent $10,560 per student, with more than three-quarters funding salaries and employee benefits. The decline represents only a 0.4 percent reduction from 2010, but it’s the first year-over-year decrease since the federal government began recording data in 1977.

For more information, including state-by-state data on student expenditures and revenues, see the fully story from Governing.