Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Increases in School Instructional Spending Are Largest in Six Years

  • 07/24/15

New proprietary school expenditure research from MDR shows U.S. K-12 public schools increased instructional spending by a remarkable 9% in the 2013-2014 school year. This dramatic increase pumped an additional $964 million into the school materials market compared to the prior year’s baseline spending on All Instructional Materials (AIM), an MDR data measure.

MDR EdNET Insight and Research Senior Director, Kathleen Brantley, noted that “AIM spending saw a significant drop in the years following the 2008 economic downturn. Between 2008 and 2013, U.S. public school spending on instructional materials decreased by $2 billion. Increased expenditures for the 2013-2014 year represent the first upturn in many years.”

“We know from experience with our own business as well as our clients’ that the market has been bouncing back,” said Steve Gatland, Vice President of Sales at MDR. “But our annual analysis of spending across U.S. public schools was even more profound than expected. The opportunities for our clients to see real growth are the best they’ve been in a decade. It is an exciting time for our schools and the companies and organizations who are helping students grow intellectually, emotionally, and socially.”

For the $11.8 billion educational materials market, this reversal in the spending trend indicates school districts are on much firmer financial footing to purchase instructional materials aligned to the Common Core Standards and assessment protocols and that are adapted to new instructional models, such as blended learning, flipped classrooms, and personalized learning.

Learn More
As the leading provider of education market insight and marketing solutions, MDR is uniquely positioned to identify emerging shifts in spending trends at the district level. See MDR’s School Spending Update infographic for public school expenditures for the 2013-2014 school year with both per student AIM and per student operational spending details. For more information, visit schooldata.com.

Featured

  • Cal Poly Humboldt Starts Construction on Healthcare Education Hub

    California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt in Arcata, Calif., recently announced that work has begun on a renovation project that will turn the Stewart Building into a new Healthcare Education Hub, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Sundt Construction Inc. for construction services.

  • UNH Marks Construction Milestone on Oceanic Exploration Facility

    The University of New Hampshire in Durham, N.H., recently celebrated a major construction milestone with a beam-signing ceremony for the new Center of Excellence for Operational Ocean and Great Lakes Mapping, according to a news release. The facility’s ultimate goal is to support research, training and technical assistance in ocean mapping.

  • Minnesota District Opens New PreK–12 School

    Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop Schools in Gibbon, Minn., recently announced that construction is complete on a new, $68.9-million school for students in grades PreK–12, according to a news release.

  • Minnesota District Starts Construction on Early Childhood Learning Center

    Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools in Sauk Rapids, Minn., recently announced that construction has begun on a new early childhood learning center and a new outdoor activities complex, according to a news release.