With state legislators preparing to increase school funding by more than $1 billion next year, a new Census Bureau report shows that New York already outpaces nearly every state in the country in spending for each student.

New York spends more money for each student in its public schools than any other state except New Jersey, and the spending had been increasing at nearly twice the national average, Census Bureau data show.

The federal report, released yesterday, said that New York State spent an average of $12,930 a student in 2004, up about 6.5% from 2003. Nationally, the average for each student in 2004 was $8,287, an increase of about 3.3% from the previous year.

The data come as lawmakers in Albany voted last week to fund a five year, $11.2 billion capital plan for New York City schools and increase operating aid for schools across the state by $1.1 billion.While lawmakers approved the new spending for public schools, they rejected a proposal by Governor Pataki to give parents of schoolchildren a $500 tax credit to pay for private school tuition, tutoring, or other educational expenses.To the dismay of some religious leaders, the Legislature proposed a more general, unrestricted $333 tax credit for every child aged 4 to 16.

Advocates of the spending increases say they are justified by New York’s high standards and commitment to public education.

For critics, however, the Census data are fuel for the argument that the state’s spending is high enough as it is.

“We’re in the middle of a spending frenzy for state schools,” a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, E.J. McMahon, said. “It really highlights how indefensible it is to be increasing spending this much.”

A spokesman for the New York State United Teachers, Dennis Tompkins, said the state had among the most stringent high school graduation standards in the country. “If we demand higher standards from our students, we obviously have to give them the resources to meet those high standards,” Mr.Tompkins said.

Last week’s agreement to fund the city’s capital school plan follows months of stepped-up pressure from Mayor Bloomberg. After fronting the state’s portion of funds for construction projects last year, the mayor said he would not do so again this year and put 21 planned buildings on hold.

The Census Bureau data show the city’s per-student spending increased by about 5.7% from 2003 to 2004, to $12,644. Some say that even that figure underestimates all the money that goes, directly or indirectly, toward public schools. Although the city’s average tops nearly all of the states, it is not among the highest for individual school systems in the state. Some school districts on Long Island spend as much as $16,213.

Asked about the Census report yesterday, the city schools chancellor, Joel Klein, said that while state spending was an issue for legislators, “it’s clear we’re being unfairly funded.” He cited court rulings in the long-running Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit, in which a state judge last year ordered Albany to provide billions more in education funding for the city. The Court of Appeals ruled in a 3-2 decision last month that while the state owed the city more money, the governor and legislators would decide the exact sum. It recommended additional annual operating funds between $4.7 billion and $5.63 billion, plus $9 billion in capital money.

Though he has appealed the court rulings, Governor Pataki has yet to say whether he will veto the city education funds that lawmakers allocated in the budget. A spokesman for the governor’s budget office, Scott Reif, said Mr. Pataki was still reviewing the entire budget. “The governor has always recognized the importance of investing in education, but he’s also fought for new accountability measures to help ensure these funds are going directly to the classroom and helping to improve student performance,” Mr. Reif said in response to the Census data released yesterday.

As the city has increased spending in recent years, many parochial schools have suffered.The Archdiocese of New York announced plans to close 14 schools in the city and surrounding suburbs, a year after the Diocese of Brooklyn announced similar closings. Officials for both the city and the church downplayed the suggestion that they were competing for students.

“I am happy to see parents, if they want other options, to exercise those options,” Mr. Klein said.”It’s not, to me, about competing for kids, it’s about making sure all kids in the city get a good education.”

A spokesman for the Brooklyn diocese, Frank DeRosa, said that while he did not see a competition, the church was pushing for the governor’s education tax credit proposal as a way for parents to have a fair choice in their children’s education. “What we’re looking for is a recognition of the needs for all children across the board,” Mr. DeRosa said.

The issue had sparked a rift between the bishop of Brooklyn, Nicholas DiMarzio, and the state Assembly speaker, Sheldon Silver. Bishop DiMarzio last week sent Mr. Silver and other lawmakers a strongly worded letter in which he said he took “personal umbrage” at Mr. Silver’s suggestion that religious leaders were pushing for Mr. Pataki’s proposal as a way to raise tuition.