GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) More than 400 teachers from Montana have signed on to teach in Wyoming's booming education industry in the past few years.

The trend has school districts across Montana particularly in low-paying, rural districts nervous about their ability to continue recruiting new teachers.

The overall budget for K-12 education in Wyoming is about 1.2 billion dollars this year, compared with approximately 704 million dollars in Montana.

Montana has about 140,000 students enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grades, while Wyoming has 85,000 students. That means Montana spends about $5,000 per student, while Wyoming forks out more than $14,000 per student.

Tim Lockwood is a spokesman for the Wyoming Department of Education. He credits a federal mineral tax on the mining industry.

He says the tax has helped Wyoming's overall economy in the past few years, but says a large chunk of that money goes to schools.

Information from: Great Falls Tribune, http://www.greatfallstribune.com (Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 09-07-08 1852CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list