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In 2017–18, public schools spent $13,118 per pupil on current expenditures (in constant 2019–20 dollars), a category that includes salaries, employee benefits, purchased services, tuition, supplies, and other expenditures. Current expenditures per pupil were higher in 2017–18 than in 2009–10, after adjusting for inflation. Salaries and benefits for staff make up approximately 80 percent of current expenditure costs.
Total expenditures for public elementary and secondary schools in the United States in 2017–18 amounted to $762 billion, or $14,891 per public school pupil enrolled in the fall (in constant 2019–20 dollars).1 Total expenditures included $13,118 per pupil in current expenditures, which include salaries, employee benefits, purchased services, tuition, supplies, and other expenditures. Total expenditures per pupil also included $1,376 in capital outlay (expenditures for property and for buildings and alterations completed by school district staff or contractors) and $397 for interest on school debt.
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NOTE: Data in this figure represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. “Current expenditures,” “Capital outlay,” and “Interest on school debt” are subcategories of total expenditures. Current expenditures includes salaries, employee benefits, purchased services, tuition, supplies, and other expenditures. Capital outlay includes expenditures for property and for buildings and alterations completed by school district staff or contractors. Expenditures are reported in constant 2019–20 dollars, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Some data have been revised from previous figures. Excludes expenditures for state education agencies.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), “National Public Education Financial Survey,” 2009–10 through 2017–18; CCD, “State Nonfiscal Survey of Public Elementary/Secondary Education,” 2009–10 through 2017–18. See Digest of Education Statistics 2019, table 105.30, and Digest of Education Statistics 2020, tables 236.10, 236.55, and 236.60.
NOTE: Data in this figure represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. “Salaries,” “Employee benefits,” “Purchased services,” and “Supplies” are subcategories of current expenditures. Purchased services include expenditures for contracts for food, transportation, and janitorial services and professional development for teachers. Supplies include expenditures for items ranging from books to heating oil. Two additional subcategories of expenditures, “Tuition” and “Other,” are not included in this figure. Excludes expenditures for state education agencies.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), “National Public Education Financial Survey,” 2009–10 and 2017–18. See Digest of Education Statistics 2020, table 236.60.
1 All expenditures in this indicator are adjusted for inflation to constant 2019–20 dollars using the Consumer Price Index (CPI). For this indicator, the CPI is adjusted to a school-year basis. The CPI is prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.
Preprimary Education
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