National Spending Per Student Rises to $8,287

[The Straight Story]

National Spending Per Student Rises to $8,287

U.S. public school districts spent an average of $8,287 per student in 2004, up from the previous year’s total of $8,019. In all, public elementary and secondary education received $462.7 billion from federal, state and local sources in 2004, up 5.1 percent from 2003.

Findings from the 2004 Annual Survey of Local Government Finances – School Systems show that New Jersey spent $12,981 per student in 2004 -- the most among states and state equivalents -- the U.S. Census Bureau reported today. Utah, at $5,008, spent the least per student.

New York ($12,930) and the District of Columbia ($12,801) were second and third in spending per student. Vermont ($11,128) and Connecticut ($10,788) rounded out the top five. Along with Utah, Idaho ($6,028), Arizona ($6,036), Oklahoma ($6,176) and Mississippi ($6,237) comprised the lowest five in money spent per student.

The state governments contributed the greatest share of public elementary and secondary school funding at $218.1 billion. In 2004, state governments contributed 47.1 percent of school funding, down from 49.0 percent in 2003. Local sources contributed 43.9 percent at $203.3 billion. The federal government’s share, which came to $41.3 billion in 2004, rose from 8.4 to 8.9 percent.

Other findings:

http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/economic_surveys/006685.html

[American liberal]

1. Sure doesn't include my neighborhood. n/t

[XemaSab]

2. Where does the money go?

If the school spends an average of 10,000 per student, and there are 30 kids in a class, that's 300,000 being spent per class.

On what? Not teacher's salaries, surely. Where does the other 250,000 go???

I am genuinely curious.

[The Straight Story]

3. Well, a lot of things

Electric and gas, water, real estate, property tax (do they pay that?), assloads of administrators, legal fees, travel, School buses and Gas for them, insurance for drivers, and so on.

Sort of like where I work - a data center. Our electric bills are insane, we have to have maint. personell, hvac, security, insurance, lawyers, tape storage (off site), server contracts, etc and so on.

Damned expensive. All so that web sites and transactions (atm, etc) can keep running smoothly.

I would be interested in seeing a breakdown of costs for a school.

[XemaSab]

4. That makes sense

Textbooks would be part of it, but certainly not enough. :eyes:

I just can't fathom where the money all goes. :shrug:

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. The number one expense is salaries

and number two is transportation.

Textbooks are way down on the list.

[RB TexLa]

6. Here are some breakdowns for DISD

I have never found out what exactly Texas school districts are "independent" of but they are. LOL

http://www.dallasisd.org/inside_disd/budget/0304/budget0304_financialsection.pdf

Starting on page 5 gives some breakdowns of expenditures