Funding formulas and what communities pay per pupil for their children's education as members of the West Morris Regional School District has been a hotly contested issue for more than a year.

The debate has spawned parents groups and letters to the editor, and led to mayor's meetings and even brought state officials out to explain the mechanics of how state aid and other factors fit into the regional district.

Interestingly, a comparative spending guide released by the state Department of Education details the specific cost per pupil spent by the K-8 districts that (for the most part) eventually send their children into the West Morris Morris Regional School District.

According to numbers for the 2010-11 school year, Mendham Township spends significantly more per pupil than their neighbors.

• Chester Consolidated School District:  $16,834
• Mendham Borough School District:     $15,637
• Mendham Township School District:    $20,287
• Washington Township School District: $16,296

Mendham Township outdistances its spending by between $4,000-5,000 per student. The cost per pupil is more than the figures for the Regional District, which clocks in at $18,141 per student.

In Morris County, Mendham is outpaced by Harding Township and Mountain Lakes which come in at $24,008 and $22,398 respectively.

What do you think? Do these numbers surprise you? Sound off in the comments and let us know.