School districts across the state fluctuate widely in what they spend per pupil, but last year's statewide average of about $21,500 was a record for New Hampshire and well above comparable national figures, state officials said Wednesday.

Public education spending in the Granite State depends largely on property tax revenue, and towns with high property values per pupil tend to spend more than places where those values are lower.

For example, spending in Keene was $19,378, compared to $44,375 in New Castle.

Local revenue such as property tax dollars paid for $13,498 of average per-pupil costs statewide, while the state paid $6,177 and the federal government paid $1,803 last school year.

The N.H. Supreme Court is considering the state's appeal of a lawsuit brought by the ConVal School District that state baseline school funding should be significantly higher than it is now. A number of other districts throughout the region and the state have joined that litigation.

The information released by the state Wednesday showed that average costs per pupil have risen significantly in recent years, enrollment has declined and total expenditures now approach $4 billion annually.

Enrollment in New Hampshire this school year was 162,660 students, down from 207,684 in 2002.

"The persistent trend of declining student enrollment combined with rising costs creates substantial financial strain on school districts, taxpayers and communities, necessitating new and creative approaches to educating our children in a system that can be sustained over the long term," Frank Edelblut, the state's education commissioner, said in the news release containing the new statistics.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, national average expenditures per pupil from fiscal year 2022 were $15,591.