NCES Report on State-Level Revenues and Expenditures for Public Schools

Washington, D.C. – The National Center for Education Statistics is out with the latest look at state-level revenues and expenditures in the nation's public schools, which increased for the third year in a row in the 2015-16 school year. Here are the highlights: 

The third straight year of increases represent a recovery from the economic downturn, which hit schools with four straight years of declines through 2013. Spending at public elementary and secondary schools rose by 2.9 percent from 2015 to 2016, a tick lower than the 3.2 percent boost the year before. 

Per pupil expenditures hit $11,841 nationally, an increase of 2.8 percent after adjusting for inflation. At the state level, per pupil spending ranged from $7,006 in Utah to $22,231 in New York. Washington, D.C. ($21,135), Connecticut ($19,615), New Jersey ($19,041), Vermont ($19,023), Alaska ($17,510) and Massachusetts ($16,986) all spent at least 40 percent more per student than the national average.

Revenues rose, as well, by 4 percent from fiscal 2015 to 2016. Local revenues increased by 3.7 percent, while state revenues increased by 4.9 percent and federal revenues saw a slight 1.1 percent bump, after adjusting for inflation. Download the report at https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2019301.

 

Featured

  • Illinois State University Breaks Ground on College of Fine Arts Transformation

    Illinois State University in Normal, Ill., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts transformation project, according to university news. The series of new constructions and renovations will upgrade spaces in Centennial East, the Center for the Visual Arts, and the Center for the Performing Arts, as well as replace the existing Centennial West facility with a new Commons Building.

  • 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.

  • Pitzer College

    Designing for Change in Higher Ed Learning Environments

    Higher education will continue to evolve, and learning environments must evolve with it. By prioritizing adaptable infrastructure, thoughtful reuse, strong energy performance, and wellness-centered design, campuses can create spaces that support learning today while remaining flexible for the future.

  • DFW-Area District Opens New Replacement Middle School

    The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District near Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new replacement middle school campus, according to a news release. The new facility for Wayside Middle School, originally established in 1964, was built on the site of the former district administration building and funded through Bond Proposition A in 2023.