FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2003 Patricia Buscher CB03-44 Public Information Office (301) 763-3030/457-3670 (fax) (301) 457-1037 (TDD) e-mail: pio@census.gov Quotes and radio sound bites School Districts in New York and New Jersey Spent Most Per Pupil on Education, Census Bureau Reports School districts in New York and New Jersey led all states in the amount of money spent per student on elementary and secondary education in 2001,according to the Commerce Department's Census Bureau. The following table shows per-pupil expenditures from the 2001 Annual Survey of Local Government Finances — School Systems for the United States and the top five states or equivalents:
Change | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
State |
2001 Spending |
2000 Spending |
Dollars |
Percent |
United States
|
$ 7,284 | $ 6,836 | $448 |
6.6 |
New York
|
10,922 | 10,039 | 883 |
8.8 |
New Jersey
|
10,893 | 10,283 | 610 |
5.9 |
District of Columbia
|
10,852 | 10,836 | 16 |
0.0 |
Connecticut
|
9,236 | 8,800 | 436 |
5.0 |
Alaska
|
9,165 | 8,743 | 422 |
4.8 |
Other findings:
- State governments contributed the greatest share of public elementary and secondary school funding: $201 billion. Local governments followed at $173 billion and the federal government was the third largest contributor at $29 billion.
- Public school systems spent $410.6 billion, up $30.1 billion from 2000. About $212.7 billion was spent on instruction, $118.7 billion on services that support instruction, $48.9 billion on capital outlay and $30.2 billion on other noninstructional items.
- School districts invested $36.0 billion in school construction, up 13.3
percent. - School district debt reached $201.6 billion, an increase of 13.0 percent.
Texas, California, New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan borrowed more than
$2 billion each for building construction, reconstruction and refinancing.