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

  • Hawaii Elementary School Breaks Ground on New Classroom Building

    Kealakehe Elementary School in Kailua, Hawaii, recently began construction on a new, $16-million classroom building for its campus, according to a news release. The 13,000-square-foot building will stand two stories and connect the existing upper and lower campuses.

  • nursing students talk while studying in a hallway

    Elsevier Launches VR Simulation Solution for Nursing Students

    Elsevier has introduced Shadow Health Lab with Virtual Reality, a simulation platform that allows nursing students to interact with virtual patients and build clinical judgment skills in a safe, realistic environment.

  • CU-Lock Haven Receives $1.75M Gift for New Entrepreneurship, Media Center

    Commonwealth University-Lock Haven in Lock Haven, Penn., recently received a $1.75-million donation from entrepreneur and alumnus Nicholas Subich ’17, according to a university news release. The funds will go toward establishing the Nicholas Subich Center for Entrepreneurship and Media, a technology-driven hub for innovation and experiential learning.

  • KWK Architects Announces Full Transition to Lawrence Group Branding

    KWK Architects recently announced that it will complete its transition to the Lawrence Group brand effective July 1, according to a news release. The merger marks the end of a three-year strategic integration process that began in March 2023 to unite the firms.