A reactor is where a nuclear reaction is controlled, making it possible to create energy or any number of artificial elements. Reactor these days almost always refers to a nuclear reactor, where atomic fission of uranium or plutonium creates the heat used to make steam to generate electricity. Originally, though, reactor meant a vessel in which chemical processes were made to generate useful products such as nylon and artificial sweetener.
Ever since its initial enactment, the federal law has included a commitment to pay 40 percent of the average per student cost for every special education student. The current average per student cost is $7,552 and the average cost per special education student is an additional $9,369 per student, or $16,921.
Costs per student by state. Public education by state rankings show that New York spent the most per pupil at $19,552. The next top five are District of Columbia ($17,468), Alaska ($17,390), New Jersey ($17,266), Connecticut ($16,274) and Vermont ($16,040). States that received the highest percentage of funding from federal sources in 2012 were District of Columbia, Alaska, Louisiana, Hawaii, South Dakota, North Dakota and Mississippi. 2  More than 20 statesâ public school systems saw drops in overall spending per pupil in 2012.