This spring, Albion Public Schools decided to close its high school because of a $1.1 million budget deficit and send its students to Marshall Public Schools.

The state's largest teachers' union, the Michigan Education Association, and some Albion parents have tried to put the blame on budget cuts.

But that argument is hard to support, according to data from the Michigan Department of Education.

Consider in 2011-12, Albion Public Schools spent $12,447 per student, which includes local, state and federal general fund dollars. By comparison, the state spending average was $9,531. And Albion spent 30 percent more in 2011-12 than it did in 2000 when the district spent $9,541 per student when factoring in inflation.

In 2011-12, Albion spent $3,626 more per student than did Marshall Public Schools, which spent $8,821 per student and is not reporting a budget deficit.

"What more do you want?" said Michael Van Beek, education policy director at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. "I don't see how you can look at that and say this is solely an issue of funding because they are spending more."

Yet, a recurring theme has been Albion needs more money.

The MEA blamed Gov. Rick Snyder's slight budget cuts in 2011-12 on the school's financial troubles. The state has increased money to schools overall during his term.

At a public forum on school funding in Albion attended by John Austin, president of the state board of education, Casandra Ulbrich, vice president of the state board, and State Rep. Kate Segal, D-Battle Creek, parents voiced their concern that Albion was being hurt by budget cuts.

In an email, Austin said he attended the meeting so he could learn more about Albion's situation.

Albion's problem has been a steady reduction in enrollment for two decades.

Albion had 2,305 students in 1992. In 2011-12, that number dropped to 808. The district reported a reduction in enrollment for 20 of those 21 years.

The city of Cedar Park in Texas was the fastest growing city in terms of percentage growth from 2010 to 2012 when it increased 12 percent to 57,957 people, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics.

Eight of the top 15 fastest growing cities were in Texas, a right-to-work state. The state was a big reason why 77 of the top 100 fastest-growing cities were in right-to-work states.

Eighteen right-to-work states had cities crack the top 100. There were six non-right-to-work states and Washington, D.C., that made the top 100. Three of the top 100 fastest growing cities were from Indiana, which didn’t become a right-to-work state until 2012 so its cities were not included as from a right-to-work state.

Texas has the most cities in the top 100 with 27. California had nine cities and Georgia had eight.

“Since the recession ended, much of the growth in the country is happening in right-to-work states,” said James Hohman, a fiscal policy analyst at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.

Novi was the fastest growing city in Michigan and ranked 221^st overall. It grew 3.1 percent to 56,912 in 2012. Michigan was not a right-to-work state in 2012. Royal Oak ranked 371^st overall and it grew 2.1 percent to 58,410.

Antony Davies, an associate professor of economics at Duquesne University, said he was not surprised that so many cities in right-to-work states were growing quickly.

“Right to work is a significant component of economic freedom. In every year from 1985 to 2009 (the last year measured), states with the most economic freedom have seen significantly more population growth than states with less economic freedom,” Davies said in an email. “Union proponents claim that unions protect workers, yet the data say otherwise. Again, in every year from 1985 through 2009, the 25 most economically free states have seen higher incomes, lower unemployment rates, lower poverty rates, and (interestingly) more equitable income distributions than did the 25 least economically free states.”