“NYC spent $25,199 which was twice the national average . ”
I just looked up some numbers. 27 districts in Westchester County (of 48) spend more than the $28,808 NYC spent last year. I also found 43 (of 56) in Nassau County, and 50 (of 69) in Suffolk County, that spend more. One district in Suffolk spends over $100K.
Sparsely populated rural districts are often even bigger spenders. All six districts in Hamilton Country spend at least $32K per student. Their total enrollment is 415 students.
NYC is a bargain by comparison.