The Cata Institute gives Washington a ‘B’ in its new “Cracking the Books” study. They’re not grading on the curve, because that B ranks Washington third among the 50 states, just behind New Mexico and South Dakota. Cato says inadequate financial reporting leads most members of the public to significantly underestimate the “true cost of public education.”

To better understand the source of this misperception, this report examines the spending data that all 50 state education departments make available to the public on their websites. It reveals that very few state education departments provide complete and timely financial data that is understandable to the general public.

At the page for Washington state, the report runs through the scoring criteria, generally commending the agency for an easy-to-navigate website and comprehensive report. The biggest shortcoming in the assessment stems from an absence of pension data.

Go here for an explanation of the grading system.