k 12 education system in usa

What are the U.S. education levels?

There are different levels of public education in the U.S. Find information about pre-school, elementary school, middle school, and high school. Learn how schools decide the grade and type of class for students new to the USA.

Education in the USA

In the United States, the law requires all children to go to school. Elementary, middle, and high school are all free if your child attends public school . The ages of the students for each grade can vary from state to state. 

U.S. education levels

In the USA, there are 12 grade levels after the first year of kindergarten. The four levels of education are:

• Preschool (early childhood education)

Elementary school

• Middle school

High school

Early childhood education

Early childhood education can mean different things. It refers to learning that happens before kindergarten. It is not required by law.

Early childhood education includes daycare and preschool . Ages can vary based on the place you choose to take your child. Daycare can start a few months after a child is born. Preschool can start as early as age 2. 

You usually have to pay for daycare and preschool. There are free preschool options for families with low income through the Head Start program .

Children in preschool learn how to be with other kids and get ready for kindergarten. 

Children begin elementary school with kindergarten (grade K) around age 5. The next year is grade 1 and it goes up each year to grade 5. They finish elementary school around age 10.

Children in elementary school usually learn different subjects from one teacher in a single classroom. They learn to develop writing and math skills, reading, critical thinking, and problem-solving.

Middle school (also called junior high school)

Students attending middle school are around age 11 to 13. It starts with grade 6 and ends with grade 8. Middle school students usually switch from classroom to classroom. They may have different teachers in one school day. 

In middle school, students learn:

• English (grammar, spelling, reading comprehension, and sentence structure)
• Mathematics (fractions, decimals, percents, solving equations)
• Sciences (earth science, basic biology, basic chemistry concepts)
• Social studies (civics, government, and basic economics)

In some communities, children will not switch schools to go to middle school. They will keep going to the same elementary school.

Students attending high school are around age 14 to 18. It starts with grade 9 and ends with grade 12. The classes are arranged by subjects. A student usually has different teachers throughout the day.

In high school, students learn:

• English (classic literature, essay writing, and critical analysis)
• Mathematics (algebra, geometry, calculus)
• Science (biology, chemistry, physics)
• Social studies (US history, world history, and civics) 

Some students can take advanced classes and prepare for work or college. High schools also have clubs, sports, work-study arrangements, and other activities. 

There are names for students in each grade:

• 9th grade: freshman 
• 10th grade: sophomore
• 11th grade: junior  
• 12th grade: senior

Secondary School

A secondary school is an alternative option to a high school. It covers grades 9th to 12th. It offers technical and vocational training, such as carpentry and automotive technology.

Post-high school education

After getting a high school diploma, students can go to college. Students need to find a college or university and learn the requirements. You will have to apply and pay tuition. If you need help paying for college or university, there are scholarships for immigrants and refugees .

Public colleges

Public colleges are also known as city colleges and state colleges. Cities and states fund public colleges. 

They have low-cost tuition for students who live in the city or state where the college is located. 

Private colleges

Private college requires paid tuition. It doesn’t depend on the government, it receives funding from donors. There are private colleges that could provide students with many financial aid programs. Private colleges tend to have a smaller number of students.

Community colleges

You can finish community college in 2 years and then transfer to a University. Many community colleges have affordable and low tuition. Students will earn a certificate or an associate degree. 

Some vocational-technical colleges are 2-year colleges.

Universities

Offer many career options; after 4 years of studies, students get a Bachelor’s Degree.

Universities have different colleges. Some universities offer professional degrees (law, medicine). These types of degrees need licenses and extra training.

Students who want to continue their education can apply for a Master’s degree or a Doctorate.

Class placement

Students can be split up by their learning level in different classes. This is more common in middle school and high school when students attend classes by subject with different teachers. Some levels of classes are harder and some are easier. 

Class placement can be decided based on:

• How well the student understands English or their test scores
• Parent/guardian recommendations
• Standardized test scores
• Willingness to complete challenging assignments
• Student interest or motivation
• Teacher or counselor recommendation
• Samples of student work

The names of the classes sometimes describe the level of difficulty. The names can be different depending on the school.

• Basic skills
• GTE (Gifted and talented education)
• Advanced Placement (AP)
• IB (International Baccalaureate)

Grade level placement for students new to the USA

Grade level placement means deciding which grade a student will start in when they move to the USA. 

Students may take some tests before the start of the school year or at the very beginning of the school year. The tests might be written or with an adult reading the questions to the student. It can be different depending on the school.

Many refugee students may have missed school while they were in camp or fleeing their country. They may be at different grade levels than a typical American student of the same age. Some students might be at a high-grade level but do not speak English yet. Those students may have trouble in harder classes until they learn English better. 

If you think your child is in the wrong grade, you can talk to the teacher, principal, or the school staff who tested and placed your child.

• Ask, “What was your reasoning?” The school can help you understand their decision.
• Explain why you think the placement is wrong. They may be able to change the placement if they agree with your reasons.

We aim to offer easy to understand information that is updated regularly. This information is not legal advice.

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Report card on american education: 22nd edition.

The status quo is not working. Whether by international comparisons, state and national proficiency measures, civic literacy rates, or career preparedness, American students are falling behind. The 22nd edition of the Report Card on American Education ranks states on their K-12 education and policy performance.

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How much does the government spend on education? What percentage of people are college educated? How are kids doing in reading and math?

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What is the current state of education in the us.

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Public school spending per student

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Agencies and elected officials.

The education system in America is made up of different public and private programs that cover preschool, all the way up to colleges and universities. These programs cater to many students in both urban and rural areas. Get data on how students are faring by grade and subject, college graduation rates, and what federal, state, and local governments spending per student. The information comes from various government agencies including the National Center for Education Statistics and Census Bureau.

During the 2019-2020 school year, there was $15,810 spent on K-12 public education for every student in the US.

Education spending per k-12 public school students has nearly doubled since the 1970s..

This estimate of spending on education is produced by the National Center for Education Statistics. Instruction accounts for most of the spending, though about a third includes support services including administration, maintenance, and transportation. Spending per student varies across states and school districts. During the 2019-2020 school year, New York spends the most per student ($29,597) and Idaho spends the least ($9,690).

During the 2021-2022 school year , the average public school teacher salary in the US was $66,397 .

Instruction is the largest category of public school spending, according to data from the National Center for Educational Statistics. Adjusting for inflation, average teacher pay is down since 2010.

In 2021 , 35% of people 25 and over had at least a bachelor’s degree.

Over the last decade women have become more educated than men..

Educational attainment is defined as the highest level of formal education a person has completed. The concept can be applied to a person, a demographic group, or a geographic area. Data on educational attainment is produced by the Census Bureau in multiple surveys, which may produce different data. Data from the American Community Survey is shown here to allow for geographic comparisons.

In 2021 , 61% of the Asian 25+ population had completed at least four years of college.

Educational attainment data from the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey allows for demographic comparisons across the US.

In 2022, proficiency in math for eighth graders was 26.5% .

Proficiency in reading in 8th grade was 30.8% ., based on a nationwide assessment, reading and math scores declined during the pandemic..

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the only nationally representative data that measures student achievement. NAEP is Congressionally mandated. Tests are given in a sample of schools based on student demographics in a given school district, state, or the US overall. Testing covers a variety of subjects, most frequently math, reading, science, and writing.

In fiscal year 2020, governments spent a combined total of $1.3 trillion on education.

That comes out to $4,010 per person..

USAFacts categorizes government budget data to allocate spending appropriately and to arrive at the estimate presented here. Most government spending on education occurs at the state and local levels rather than the federal.

Government revenue and expenditures are based on data from the Office of Management and Budget, the Census Bureau, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Each is published annually, although due to collection times, state and local government data are not as current as federal data. Thus, when combining federal, state, and local revenues and expenditures, the most recent year for a combined number may be delayed.

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A primer on elementary and secondary education in the United States

Editor’s Note: This report is an excerpt, with minor edits, from Addressing Inequities in the US K-12 Education System , which first appeared in Rebuilding the Pandemic Economy , published by the Aspen Economic Strategy Group in 2021.

This report reviews the basics of the American elementary and secondary education system: Who does what and how do we pay for it? While there are some commonalities across the country, the answers to both questions, it turns out, vary considerably across states. 1

Who does what?

Schools are the institution most visibly and directly responsible for educating students. But many other actors and institutions affect what goes on in schools. Three separate levels of government—local school districts, state governments, and the federal government—are involved in the provision of public education. In addition, non-governmental actors, including teachers’ unions, parent groups, and philanthropists play important roles.

Most 5- to 17-year-old children – about 88%– attend public schools. 2 (Expanding universal schooling to include up to two years of preschool is an active area of discussion which could have far-reaching implications, but we focus on grades K-12 here.) About 9% attend private schools; about a quarter of private school students are in non-sectarian schools, and the remaining three-quarters are about evenly split between Catholic and other religious schools. The remaining 3% of students are homeschooled.

Magnet schools are operated by local school districts but enroll students from across the district; magnet schools often have special curricula—for example, a focus on science or arts—and were sometimes designed specifically to encourage racial integration. Charter schools are publicly funded and operate subject to state regulations; private school regulations and homeschooling requirements are governed by state law and vary across states. Nationally, 6.8% of public school students are enrolled in charter schools; the remainder attend “traditional public schools,” where students are mostly assigned to schools based on their home address and the boundaries school districts draw. Washington, D.C. and Arizona have the highest rates of charter enrollment, with 43 and 19% of their public school students attending charter schools. Several states have little or no charter school enrollment. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly all public schooling took place in person, with about 0.6% of students enrolled in virtual schools.

Local School Districts

Over 13,000 local education agencies (LEAs), also known as school districts, are responsible for running traditional public schools. The size and structure of local school districts, as well as the powers they have and how they operate, depend on the state. Some states have hundreds of districts, and others have dozens. District size is mostly historically determined rather than a reflection of current policy choices. But while districts can rarely “choose” to get smaller or larger, district size implicates  important   trade-offs . Having many school districts operating in a metropolitan area can enhance incentives for school and district administrators to run schools consistent with the preferences of residents, who can vote out leaders or vote with their feet by leaving the district. On the other hand, fragmentation can lead to more segregation by race and income and less equity in funding, though state laws governing how local districts raise revenue may address the funding issues. Larger districts can benefit from economies of scale as the fixed costs of operating a district are spread over more students and they are better able to operate special programs, but large districts can also be difficult to manage. And even though large districts have the potential to pool resources between more- and less-affluent areas, equity challenges persist as staffing patterns lead to different levels of spending at schools within the same district.

School boards can be elected or appointed, and they generally are responsible for hiring the chief school district administrator, the superintendent. In large districts, superintendent turnover is often cited as a barrier to sustained progress on long term plans, though the causation may run in the other direction: Making progress is difficult, and frustration with reform efforts leads to frequent superintendent departures. School districts take in revenue from local, state, and federal sources, and allocate resources—primarily staff—to schools. The bureaucrats in district “central offices” oversee administrative functions including human resources, curriculum and instruction, and compliance with state and federal requirements. The extent to which districts devolve authority over instructional and organizational decisions to the school level varies both across and within states.

State Governments

The U.S. Constitution reserves power over education for the states. States have delegated authority to finance and run schools to local school districts but remain in charge when it comes to elementary and secondary education. State constitutions contain their own—again, varying—language about the right to education, which has given rise to litigation over the level and distribution of school funding in nearly all states over the past half century. States play a major role in school finance, both by sending aid to local school districts and by determining how local districts are allowed to tax and spend, as discussed further below.

State legislatures and state education agencies also influence education through mechanisms outside the school finance system. For example, states may set requirements for teacher certification and high school graduation, regulate or administer retirement systems, determine the ages of compulsory schooling, decide how charter schools will (or will not) be established and regulated, set home-schooling requirements, establish curricular standards or approve specific instructional materials, choose standardized tests and proficiency standards, set systems for school accountability (subject to federal law), and create (or not) education tax credits or vouchers to direct public funds to private schools. Whether and how states approach these issues—and which functions they delegate to local school districts—varies considerably.

Federal Government

The authority of the federal government to direct schools to take specific actions is weak. Federal laws protect access to education for specific groups of students, including students with disabilities and English language learners. Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in education, and the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of race. The U.S. Department of Education issues  regulations and guidance  on K-12 laws and oversees grant distribution and compliance. It also collects and shares data and funds research. The Bureau of Indian Education is housed in the Department of the Interior, not the Department of Education.

The federal government influences elementary and secondary education primarily by providing funding—and through the rules surrounding the use of those funds and the conditions that must be met to receive federal funding. Federal aid is typically allocated according to formulas targeting particular populations. The largest formula-aid federal programs are Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which provides districts funds to support educational opportunity, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), for special education. Both allocate funding in part based on child poverty rates. State and school district fiscal personnel ensure that districts comply with rules governing how federal funds can be spent and therefore have direct influence on school environments. Since 1965, in addition to specifying how federal funds can be spent, Congress has required states and districts to adopt other policies as a condition of Title I receipt. The policies have changed over time, but most notably include requiring school districts to desegregate, requiring states to adopt test-based accountability systems, and requiring the use of “evidence-based” approaches. 

IDEA establishes protections for students with disabilities in addition to providing funding. The law guarantees their right to a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive setting and sets out requirements for the use of Individualized Educational Programs. Because of these guarantees, IDEA allows students and families to pursue litigation. Federal law prohibits conditioning funding on the use of any specific curriculum. The Obama Administration’s Race to the Top program was also designed to promote specific policy changes—many related to teacher policy—but through a competitive model under which only select states or districts “won” the funds. For the major formula funds, like Title I and IDEA, the assumption (nearly always true) is that states and districts will adopt the policies required to receive federal aid and all will receive funds; in some cases, those policy changes may have  more impact than the money  itself. The federal government also allocated significant funding to support schools during the Great Recession and during the COVID-19 pandemic through specially created fiscal stabilization or relief funds; federal funding for schools during the COVID crisis was significantly larger than during the Great Recession.

The federal tax code, while perhaps more visible in its influence on higher education, also serves as a K-12 policy lever. The controversial state and local tax deduction, now limited to $10,000, reduces federal tax collections and subsidizes progressive taxation for state and local spending, including for education. As of 2018, 529 plans, which historically allowed tax-preferred savings only for higher education expenses, can also be used for private K-12 expenses.

Non-Governmental Actors

Notable non-governmental actors in elementary and secondary education include teachers’ unions and schools of education, along with parents, philanthropists, vendors, and other advocates.The nation’s three million public school teachers are a powerful political force, affecting more than just teachers’ compensation. For example, provisions of collective bargaining agreements meant to improve teachers working conditions also limit administrator flexibility.  Teachers unions  are also important political actors; they play an active role in federal, state, and school board elections and advocate for (or, more often, against) a range of policies affecting education.  Union strength varies considerably across U.S. states.

Both states and institutions of higher education play important roles in determining who teaches and the preparation they receive. Policies related to teacher certification and preparation requirements, ranging from whether teachers are tested on academic content to which teachers are eligible to supervise student teachers, vary considerably across states. 3 Meanwhile,  reviews of teacher training programs  reveal many programs do not do a good job incorporating consensus views of research-based best practices in key areas. To date, schools of education have not been the focus of much policy discussion, but they would be critical partners in any changes to how teachers are trained.

Parents play an important role, through a wide range of channels, in determining what happens in schools. Parents choose schools for their children, either implicitly when they choose where to live or explicitly by enrolling in a charter school, private school, participating in a school district choice program, or homeschooling, though these choices are constrained by income, information, and other factors. They may also raise money through Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) or other foundations—and determine how it is spent. And they advocate for (or against) specific policies, curriculum, or other aspects of schooling through parent organizations, school boards, or other levels of government. Parents often also advocate for their children to receive certain teachers, placements, evaluation, or services; this is particularly true for parents of students with disabilities, who often must make sure their children receive legally required services and accommodations. Though state and federal policymakers sometimes  mandate parent engagement , these mechanisms do not necessarily provide meaningful pathways for parental input and are often dominated by  white and higher-SES parents .      

Philanthropy also has an important influence on education policy, locally and nationally. Not only do funders support individual schools in traditional ways, but they are also increasingly active in influencing federal and state laws. Part of these philanthropic efforts happen through advocacy groups, including civil rights groups, religious groups, and the hard-to-define “education reform” movement. Finally, the many vendors of curriculum, assessment, and “edtech” products and services bring their own lobbying power.

Paying for school

Research on school finance might be better termed school district finance because districts are the jurisdictions generating and receiving revenue, and districts, not schools, are almost always responsible for spending decisions. School districts typically use staffing models to send resources to schools, specifying how many staff positions (full-time equivalents), rather than dollars, each school gets. 

Inflation-adjusted, per-pupil revenue to school districts has increased steadily over time and averaged about $15,500 in 2018-19 (total expenditure, which includes both ongoing and capital expenditure, is similar but we focus on revenue because we are interested in the sources of revenue). Per-pupil revenue growth tends to stall or reverse in recessions and has only recently recovered to levels seen prior to the Great Recession (Figure 1). On average, school districts generated about 46% of their revenue locally, with about 80% of that from property taxes; about 47% of revenue came from state governments and about 8% from the federal government. The share of revenue raised locally has declined from about 56% in the early 1960s to 46% today, while the state and federal shares have grown. Local revenue comes from taxes levied by local school districts, but local school districts often do not have complete control over the taxes they levy themselves, and they almost never determine exactly how much they spend because that depends on how much they receive in state and federal aid. State governments may require school districts to levy certain taxes, limit how much local districts are allowed to tax or spend, or they may implicitly or explicitly redistribute some portion of local tax revenue to other districts.

Both the level of spending and distribution of revenue by source vary substantially across states (Figure 2), with New York, the highest-spending state, spending almost $30,000 per pupil, while Idaho, Utah, and Oklahoma each spent under $10,000 per pupil. (Some, but far from all, of this difference is related to higher labor costs in New York.) Similarly, the local share of revenue varies from less than 5% in Hawaii and Vermont to about 60% in New Hampshire and Nebraska. On average, high-poverty states spend less, but there is also considerable variation in spending among states with similar child poverty rates.

Discussions of school funding equity—and considerable legal action—focus on inequality of funding across school districts  within the same state . While people often assume districts serving disadvantaged students spend less per pupil than wealthier districts within a state, per-pupil spending and the child poverty rate are nearly always uncorrelated or  positively  correlated, with higher-poverty districts spending more on average. Typically, disadvantaged districts receive more state and federal funding, offsetting differences in funding from local sources. Meanwhile, considerable inequality exists between states, and poorer states spend less on average. Figure 3 illustrates an example of this dynamic, showing the relationship between district-level per-pupil spending and the child poverty rate in North Carolina (a relatively low-spending state with county- and city-based districts) and Illinois (a higher-spending state with many smaller districts). In North Carolina, higher poverty districts spend more on average; Illinois is one of only a few states in which this relationship is reversed. But this does not mean poor kids get fewer resources in Illinois than in North Carolina. Indeed, nearly  all  districts in Illinois spend more than most districts in North Carolina, regardless of poverty rate.

Figure 4 gives a flavor of the wide variation in per-pupil school spending. Nationally, the district at the 10th percentile had per-pupil current expenditure of $8,800, compared to $18,600 at the 90th percentile (for these calculations we focus on current expenditure, which is less volatile year-to-year, rather than revenue). Figure 4 shows that this variation is notably  not  systematically related to key demographics. For example, on average, poor students attend school in districts that spent $13,023 compared to $13,007 for non-poor students. The average Black student attends school in a district that spent $13,485 per student, compared to $12,918 for Hispanic students and $12,736 for White students. 4  School districts in high-wage areas need to spend more to hire the same staff, but adjusting spending to account for differences in prevailing wages of college graduates (the second set of bars) does not change the picture much.

Does this mean the allocation of spending is fair? Not really. First, to make progress reducing the disparities in outcomes discussed above, schools serving more disadvantaged students will need to spend  more  on average. Second, these data are measured at the school district level, lumping all schools together. This potentially masks inequality across (as well as within) schools in the same district.

The federal government now requires states to report some spending at the school level; states have only recently released these data. One study using these new data finds that within districts, schools attended by students of color and economically-disadvantaged students tend to have more staff per pupil and to spend more per pupil. These schools also have more novice teachers. How could within-district spending differences systematically correlate with student characteristics, when property taxes and other revenues for the entire district feed into the central budget? Most of what school districts buy is staff, and compensation is largely based on credentials and experience. So schools with less-experienced teachers spend less per pupil than those with more experienced ones, even if they have identical teacher-to-student ratios. Research suggests schools enrolling more economically disadvantaged students, or more students of color, on average have worse working conditions for teachers and experience more teacher turnover. Together, this means that school districts using the same staffing rules for each school—or even allocating more staff to schools serving more economically disadvantaged students—would have different patterns in spending per pupil than staff per pupil.

[1] : For state-specific information, consult state agency websites (e.g., Maryland State Department of Education) for more details. You can find data for all 50 states at the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics , and information on state-specific policies at the Education Commission of the States .

[2] : The numbers in this section are based on the most recent data available in the Digest of Education Statistics, all of which were collected prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

[3] : See the not-for-profit National Council on Teacher Quality for standards and reviews of teacher preparation programs, and descriptions of state teacher preparation policies.

[4] : These statistics may be particularly surprising to people given the widely publicized findings of the EdBuild organization that, “ Nonwhite school districts get $23 billion less than white school districts. ” The EdBuild analysis estimates gaps between districts where at least 75% of students are non-White versus at least 75% of students are White. These two types of districts account for 53% of enrollment nationally. The $23 billion refers to state and local revenue (excluding federal revenue), whereas we focus on current expenditure (though patterns for total expenditure or total revenue are similar).

Disclosures: The Brookings Institution is financed through the support of a diverse array of foundations, corporations, governments, individuals, as well as an endowment. A list of donors can be found in our annual reports published online  here . The findings, interpretations, and conclusions in this report are solely those of its author(s) and are not influenced by any donation .

About the Authors

Sarah reber, joseph a. pechman senior fellow – economic studies, nora gordon, professor – mccourt school of public policy, georgetown university.

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About half of Americans say public K-12 education is going in the wrong direction

About half of U.S. adults (51%) say the country’s public K-12 education system is generally going in the wrong direction. A far smaller share (16%) say it’s going in the right direction, and about a third (32%) are not sure, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in November 2023.

Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to understand how Americans view the K-12 public education system. We surveyed 5,029 U.S. adults from Nov. 9 to Nov. 16, 2023.

The survey was conducted by Ipsos for Pew Research Center on the Ipsos KnowledgePanel Omnibus. The KnowledgePanel is a probability-based web panel recruited primarily through national, random sampling of residential addresses. The survey is weighted by gender, age, race, ethnicity, education, income and other categories.

Here are the questions used for this analysis , along with responses, and the survey methodology .

A majority of those who say it’s headed in the wrong direction say a major reason is that schools are not spending enough time on core academic subjects.

These findings come amid debates about what is taught in schools , as well as concerns about school budget cuts and students falling behind academically.

Related: Race and LGBTQ Issues in K-12 Schools

Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say the public K-12 education system is going in the wrong direction. About two-thirds of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (65%) say this, compared with 40% of Democrats and Democratic leaners. In turn, 23% of Democrats and 10% of Republicans say it’s headed in the right direction.

Among Republicans, conservatives are the most likely to say public education is headed in the wrong direction: 75% say this, compared with 52% of moderate or liberal Republicans. There are no significant differences among Democrats by ideology.

Similar shares of K-12 parents and adults who don’t have a child in K-12 schools say the system is going in the wrong direction.

A separate Center survey of public K-12 teachers found that 82% think the overall state of public K-12 education has gotten worse in the past five years. And many teachers are pessimistic about the future.

Related: What’s It Like To Be A Teacher in America Today?

Why do Americans think public K-12 education is going in the wrong direction?

We asked adults who say the public education system is going in the wrong direction why that might be. About half or more say the following are major reasons:

• Schools not spending enough time on core academic subjects, like reading, math, science and social studies (69%)
• Teachers bringing their personal political and social views into the classroom (54%)
• Schools not having the funding and resources they need (52%)

About a quarter (26%) say a major reason is that parents have too much influence in decisions about what schools are teaching.

How views vary by party

Americans in each party point to different reasons why public education is headed in the wrong direction.

Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say major reasons are:

• A lack of focus on core academic subjects (79% vs. 55%)
• Teachers bringing their personal views into the classroom (76% vs. 23%)

In turn, Democrats are more likely than Republicans to point to:

• Insufficient school funding and resources (78% vs. 33%)
• Parents having too much say in what schools are teaching (46% vs. 13%)

Views also vary within each party by ideology.

Among Republicans, conservatives are particularly likely to cite a lack of focus on core academic subjects and teachers bringing their personal views into the classroom.

Among Democrats, liberals are especially likely to cite schools lacking resources and parents having too much say in the curriculum.

Note: Here are the questions used for this analysis , along with responses, and the survey methodology .

• Partisanship & Issues
• Political Issues

Rachel Minkin is a research associate focusing on social and demographic trends research at Pew Research Center .

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ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER  Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of  The Pew Charitable Trusts .

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State Grades on K-12 Achievement: 2021 Map and Rankings

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Examine the grades and scores that states and the nation earned on the K-12 Achievement Index in Quality Counts 2021, along with how they scored on a host of indicators that go into those rankings.

For a description of what these education indicators mean, view the grading scale and methodology .

In March 2024, Education Week announced the end of the Quality Counts report after 25 years of serving as a comprehensive K-12 education scorecard. In response to new challenges and a shifting landscape, we are refocusing our efforts on research and analysis to better serve the K-12 community. For more information, please go here for the full context or learn more about the EdWeek Research Center .

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K-12 education in the United States

Statistics report on K-12 education in the United States

This report presents statistics and facts on K-12 education in the United States. The report begins with an overview of the K-12 education system, highlighting population-based demographics and differences between private and public institutions, with further information provided on revenue and expenditure. The report then outlines the rise of state legislation restricting materials and instruction in K-12 schools and libraries, as well as continuing inequalities in U.S. education. Perceptions from K-12 teachers and parents are also revealed, along with opinions from the American public themselves, demonstrating how the nation remains politically divided over their system of formal schooling.

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Table of contents.

• Basic Statistic Number of elementary and secondary schools in the U.S. 2020/21, by type
• Premium Statistic Share of U.S. public schools 2021/22, by enrollment size and school type
• Basic Statistic School enrollment in public and private institutions in the U.S. 2022
• Basic Statistic Enrollment in public and private elementary schools 1960-2022
• Basic Statistic High school enrollment in public and private institutions U.S. 1965-2031
• Premium Statistic Enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools U.S. 2022, by state
• Basic Statistic Primary and secondary school enrollment rates in the U.S. in 2022, by age group
• Basic Statistic Share of students enrolled in U.S. public K-12 schools 2021, by ethnicity and state
• Basic Statistic U.S. public school enrollment numbers 2000-2021, by ethnicity

Revenue and expenditure

• Basic Statistic School expenditure on public and private institutions 1970-2020
• Basic Statistic Expenditure on public and private elementary and secondary schools U.S. 1970-2021
• Premium Statistic U.S. per pupil public school expenditure FY 2023, by state
• Basic Statistic U.S. public schools - average expenditure per pupil 1980-2020
• Basic Statistic U.S. education - total expenditure per pupil in public schools 1990-2021
• Basic Statistic Revenue of public elementary and secondary schools U.S. 1980-2020
• Premium Statistic Average annual tuition for private K-12 schools U.S. 2024, by state
• Premium Statistic Estimated average salary of public school teachers U.S. 2021/22, by state

State laws and book bans

• Premium Statistic U.S. states restricting schools from teaching race, sex, or inequality 2021-2023
• Premium Statistic Proposed bans on sex or gender identity in K-12 schools U.S. 2023, by grade level
• Premium Statistic Share of transgender youth subject to bans on school sport participation U.S 2024
• Premium Statistic Share of U.S. transgender population subject to bathroom bills 2024
• Premium Statistic Instances of book bans in U.S. public schools 2022/23, by ban status
• Basic Statistic Books banned in schools in the U.S. H2 2022, by state
• Premium Statistic Book titles banned in schools in the U.S. H2 2022, by subject matter
• Premium Statistic Topics that K-12 librarians would ban from their school libraries U.S. 2023

Inequalities in education

• Premium Statistic Share of K-12 public students attending predominately same-race schools U.S 2021
• Premium Statistic Share of public schools who feel understaffed U.S. 2024, by students of color
• Premium Statistic Estimated average months of learning lost due to COVID-19 by ethnicity U.S. 2020
• Premium Statistic NAEP reading scores for nine year olds U.S. 2022, by race
• Premium Statistic NAEP math scores for nine year olds U.S. 2022, by race
• Premium Statistic Share of K-12 students who feel their school respects who they are U.S. 2023, by race
• Premium Statistic Schools in the U.S.: victims of threats/injuries by weapons, by ethnicity 2021
• Premium Statistic Share of students who have experienced school shootings U.S. 1999-2024, by race
• Basic Statistic Share of teachers afraid of school shootings U.S. 2022, by location and student race

K-12 teachers

• Basic Statistic Teachers in elementary and secondary schools U.S. 1955-2031
• Basic Statistic U.S. elementary and secondary schools: pupil-teacher ratio 1955-2031
• Premium Statistic Impacts of restricting race, sex, and identity topics for K-12 teachers U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic Share of public K-12 teachers who limit political or social topics in class U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic Top reasons K-12 public school teachers limit political or social topics U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic K-12 teachers' views on how gender identity should be taught at school U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic K-12 teachers' support for parents to opt children out of race/gender topics U.S 2023
• Premium Statistic Top three reasons K-12 public school teachers fear for their safety U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic Share of school staff who received concerns from parents on K-12 curriculum 2023

Parent perceptions

• Premium Statistic Main reasons why parents enroll their children in private or public schools U.S. 2024
• Premium Statistic Share of Americans with various views on what school type has the best education 2023
• Premium Statistic Share of parents with select views on what school type is best U.S 2024, by gender
• Premium Statistic Parents' beliefs on how gender identity is taught in school U.S. 2022, by party
• Premium Statistic Parents with select beliefs on how slavery is taught in school U.S. 2022, by party
• Premium Statistic Perceptions on the influence of K-12 parents or school boards U.S 2022, by party
• Premium Statistic Parents who believe teachers should lead students in prayers U.S. 2022, by party
• Premium Statistic Share of K-12 parents concerned about a violent intruder at school U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic K-12 parents' concerns on the effects of AI on their child's learning U.S. 2023

U.S. opinion

• Premium Statistic Share of Americans who are concerned about select issues in public schools U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic U.S. views on who should influence LGBTQ-related school policies 2023
• Premium Statistic U.S. views on how slavery and racism should be taught in schools 2023
• Premium Statistic U.S. preferences for race-related curricula in K-12 schools 2023, by race
• Premium Statistic U.S. views on whether teachers should use students' preferred pronouns 2023
• Premium Statistic U.S. teens' comfortability with race and LGBTQ+ topics in the classroom 2023
• Premium Statistic Share of LBGTQ+ students with various reasons to drop out of high school U.S. 2021-22
• Premium Statistic Adults’ opinion on how K–12 schools should handle AI advances U.S. 2023-24

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Resources for Students

Kindergarten to grade 12 students.

In the United States, students begin formal education around age five or six. Generally, elementary and secondary school grades kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) are required, after which a student may choose to attend college or university. There are two types of kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) schools in the United States: public and private. Laws regarding compulsory education vary by state. They address starting and ending ages, as well as level of participation. These laws apply to both public and private K-12 schools. For a better understanding of these requirements, please visit our Kindergarten to Grade 12 Schools page  and talk to school officials in the state where the student plans to live.

SEVP can certify a private school for F-1 or M-1 student enrollment in any or all of its K-12 programs. SEVP can certify a public school for F-1 or M-1 student enrollment in grades 9-12, which is limited to a maximum of 12 months.

Prospective international students who wish to study in the United States must be able to prove their ability to pay for their educational program, a place to stay and other applicable living expenses while in the United States. Determination of the living expenses figure is an institutional decision and schools must receive a student’s financial evidence and report the student’s assets before issuing the  Form I-20, "Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status."

While F-1 and M-1 students are not eligible for U.S. government-funded financial aid, private schools may decide to award financial aid or scholarships to a student. This ability to award financial aid is dependent on the school’s financial aid policies and governing regulations. Prospective international students can use government tools and information, such as EducationUSA’s Find Financial Aid tool , to access financial aid resources designed specifically for international students.

Local, state and federal tax revenue funds public schools. An F-1 or M-1 student may attend a  Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified  public secondary school (i.e., high school; grades 9-12), with certain restrictions:

• For a maximum period of 12 months—This time limit includes all public schools the student attends. An F-1 or M-1 student cannot spend a year at one public high school and then transfer to another public high school; however, you can transfer to an SEVP-certified private school to continue toward a diploma.
• Must pay the full, unsubsidized per capita cost of attending the school district. Payment of this fee must occur before the student applies for an F-1 or M-1 visa. You must be able to present proof of this payment at the visa interview and at the port of entry when applying for admission into the United States.

For more information, contact the school’s designated school official (DSO).

An F-1 or M-1 student may not attend a public school for grades kindergarten through eight because those schools cannot be SEVP-certified.

For more information concerning the SEVP rules and regulations for public high schools, please visit our  Grade 9 to Grade 12 Public Schools page .

Unlike public schools that are primarily funded by local, state and federal tax revenue, tuition funds private schools. International students may apply for F-1 or M-1 status to attend a private,  SEVP-certified school  for grades K-12. Unlike public schools, regulations place no limit on the length of time an F-1 student may attend a private, SEVP-certified school.

For more information concerning the SEVP rules and regulations for private K-12 schools, please visit our  Kindergarten to Grade 12 Private Schools page .

A graduating F-1 high school student, whether at a public or a private school, who would like to continue studying in the United States, may apply to an SEVP-certified college or university. As with graduating domestic high school students, it is in your best interest to initiate the application and approval for college in the United States well in advance of high school graduation.

F-1 student SEVIS records will need to be transferred to the accepting college or university. For information about transferring, please visit Transfer for F-1 Students on ICE.gov/SEVP . If you are an F-2 or M-2 dependent who wants to continue studying in the United States, you can learn more on the  Change of Status page.

• A minor F-2 or M-2 dependent of an F-1 or M-1 student may attend public K-12 school at the appropriate grade level without any additional permission or documentation from SEVP.
• State education laws may require that F-2 and M-2 students attend the appropriate grade level until a certain age.
• The elementary or secondary school an F-2 or M-2 student attends does not need to be SEVP-certified.
• For a minor F-2 or M-2 dependent to transfer from a public school to a private school, the F-1 or M-1 student and/or F-2 spouse, if applicable, should talk to the school’s DSO.
• If you are an F-2 or M-2 dependent who wants to continue studying in the United States, you can learn more on the  Change of Status page.

Related Tags: K-12 , K-12 Students

U.S. Government Accountability Office

K-12 Education

Issue summary.

The U.S. Department of Education and other federal agencies work to ensure that 50 million students in K-12 public schools have access to a safe, quality education. However, a history of discriminatory practices has contributed to inequities in education, which are intertwined with disparities in wealth, income, and housing. Moreover, there are ongoing concerns about the safety and well-being of all students. To help address these issues, Education should strengthen its oversight of key programs, policies, and data collections.

For example:

• The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted learning for millions of students during the 2020-21 school year. Certain student populations were more likely to face significant obstacles to learning in a virtual environment—such as high-poverty students and students learning English. Some children also never attended class during the 2020-2021 school year.
• As the COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased use of remote education, K-12 schools across the nation have increasingly reported ransomware and other types of cyberattacks. Federal agencies offer products and services to help schools prevent and respond to cyberattacks. But Education's plan for addressing risks to schools was issued in 2010 and needs an update to deal with changing cybersecurity risks.
• The U.S. is experiencing a shortage of teachers – a problem that worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic amid reports of teachers leaving the profession, fewer new teachers entering, and schools struggling to hire teachers. While Education has introduced a strategy to address these issues, progress can be made to ensure its efforts are working.
• While nearly all public school districts require students to adhere to dress codes, concerns about equity in school dress codes have included the detrimental effects of removing students from the classroom for dress code violations. A review of a nationally representative sample of public school district dress codes revealed school dress codes more frequently restrict items typically worn by girls. Additionally, rules about hair and head coverings can disproportionately affect Black students and those of certain religions and cultures.
• School districts spend billions of dollars a year (primarily from local government sources) on building and renovating facilities at the nearly 100,000 K-12 public schools nationwide. A survey of school facilities brought up common issues and priorities, such as improving security , expanding technology, and addressing health hazards. Additionally, about half of districts reported needing to update or replace multiple systems like heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) or plumbing. Accessing public school facilities was also reported as a challenge, with survey results showing that two-thirds of school districts had facilities with physical barriers that may limit access for students with disabilities.
• Even before the pandemic, virtual public school enrollment was growing—mostly in virtual charter schools. Compared to students in brick-and-mortar public schools, 2018-2019 data showed that a lower percentage of virtual school students took state achievement tests, and their scores were significantly lower. Also, Education officials said the virtual environment makes it harder to monitor attendance. Certain federal funds are allocated using attendance data, so there's a risk that virtual schools could get more or less funding than they should.
• Education requires public school districts to biennially report incidents of restraint (restricting a student’s movement) and seclusion (confining a student to a space alone). However, Education’s data quality checks may not catch misreporting or statistical outliers. For instance, 70% of districts reported 0 incidents of restraint and seclusion, but Education’s quality check only applies to fewer than 100 large districts. Education also doesn’t have a quality check for districts reporting relatively high incident rates—such as one that reported an average of 71 restraint incidents per student per year.
• A review of school shooting data found that half were committed by current or former students. Suburban and rural, wealthier, and low-minority schools had more school-targeted shootings; such shootings were the most fatal and most commonly committed by students. Urban, poor, and high-minority schools had more shootings overall and were more motivated by disputes; these shootings were often committed by non-students or unknown shooters.

Recent Reports

K-12 Education: DOD Should Assess Whether Troops-to-Teachers is Meeting Program Goals

K-12 Education: Additional Guidance Could Improve the Equitable Services Process for School Districts and Private Schools

K-12 Education: New Charter Schools Receiving Grants to Open Grew Faster Than Peers

K-12 Education: Education Should Assess Its Efforts to Address Teacher Shortages

K-12 Education: Department of Education Should Provide Information on Equity and Safety in School Dress Codes

K-12 Education: Charter Schools That Received Federal Funding to Open or Expand Were Generally Less Likely to Close Than Other Similar Charter Schools

K-12 Education: Student Population Has Significantly Diversified, but Many Schools Remain Divided Along Racial, Ethnic, and Economic Lines

Pandemic Learning: Less Academic Progress Overall, Student and Teacher Strain, and Implications for the Future

Pandemic Learning: Teachers Reported Many Obstacles for High-Poverty Students and English Learners As Well As Some Mitigating Strategies

Special Education: DOD Programs and Services for Military-Dependent Students with Disabilities

District of Columbia Charter Schools: DC Public Charter School Board Should Include All Required Elements in Its Annual Report

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What do the data say about the current state of K-12 STEM education in the US?

A conversation with Julia Phillips of the National Science Board on the state of elementary and secondary STEM education in the nation.

The importance of a diverse STEM-educated workforce to the nation's prosperity, security and competitiveness grows every year. Preparing this future workforce must begin in the earliest grades, but the latest report from the National Science Board finds that the performance of U.S. students in STEM education continues to lag that of students from other countries.

Julia Phillips is a physicist and materials science researcher who chairs NSB's Committee on National Science and Engineering Policy, which oversees the congressionally mandated  Science and Engineering Indicators  report, also known as Indicators, in collaboration with NSF's National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics .

The latest Elementary and Secondary STEM Education report , the first of the 2022 Indicators reports, raises more concern about the state of STEM education in the nation and its potential impact on the economy and the U.S. standing in the world.   Phillips discusses the key trends and their implications for science and education policy in the U.S.

Note: some of the conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.

What does the report tell us about K-12 STEM education?

What we see is that the performance of children in the U.S. has not kept pace with the performance of students from other countries in science and mathematics for a decade or more. We have pretty much stayed steady, and other countries have improved dramatically. When you look at the closest economic competitors to the U.S., our scores are in last place in mathematics and in the middle of the pack in science. Math scores have not improved for more than a decade, and they're not good when you compare them to other countries.

This is just not something that we can be comfortable about. Our economy depends on math and science literacy. This is not only a concern for those with careers in those topics but also for the public at large.

You've said before that performance is "lumpy," with some groups of students performing very well and improving over time and others remaining stagnant or falling back. Where are the trouble spots?

I think it ought to be extremely disturbing to everyone in the U.S. that science and math performance is not equally distributed across the country. You see huge differences in performance based on race and ethnicity, so that Asian and white students do much better on these standardized tests than students of color. And you also see that there is a huge difference based on the socioeconomic background of students – students that are from higher socioeconomic backgrounds do much better than students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

Data also show that the situation has only been exacerbated by the pandemic. We have a multi-year gap to pull out of just from COVID, and we were already in a weak position to begin with.

Why are the educational results so unevenly distributed?

We don't know exactly. But we can notice that certain things tend to occur at the same time.

For example, students of lower socioeconomic status or those from certain demographic groups tend to be in schools where teachers have less experience in teaching. There's separate evidence that teachers tend to get better as they get more experience.

Students from low socioeconomic status and minority backgrounds also tend to have teachers who are not originally educated in the fields that they teach, and that's particularly true in science.

Why should people care about these numbers?

Every parent should care, because careers in science and engineering are some of the best careers that a young person can pursue in terms of opportunities for making a really good living, from a certificate or associate degree all the way up through a Ph.D. You don't have to have the highest degree to make a really good living in a science and engineering field.

The second thing is that science and engineering is increasingly important for driving the U.S. economy. Many of the industries that we depend upon – including the auto industry, construction, all the way up through vaccine development – depend to an increasing level on literacy in math and science. If the U.S. is going to continue to have the wealth and prosperity that it has come to enjoy, being in the lead in many of these industries is going to be very important.

Julia Phillips on U.S. leadership in science

What can be done to turn these statistics around and improve STEM scores?

There has to be an all-hands-on-deck approach to emphasizing the importance of high-quality math and science education, beginning in the elementary grades and continuing all the way through as much education as a student gets. Communication is needed to say why it is important to have good math and science education.

NSF has prioritized programs that address this issue as well, like  INCLUDES , which uses a collective approach to help broaden participation in STEM.  Perhaps we could also be encouraging individuals with math and science backgrounds to go into teaching if they are drawn to that. We also need to increase the level of respect for the teaching profession.

How do you think education changed in recent decades, or even from when you were a student yourself and became interested in science?

In my own personal experience growing up in a small town in the middle of a bunch of cornfields in Illinois, I don't think I knew any practicing research scientists. But having teachers who were able to make science come alive with the things around us – whether it was nature, the stars, the gadgets in our house, whatever – they were able to make it interesting, relevant and exciting, and we were able to get a little taste for what we might be able to do. Teacher education programs must incorporate more STEM education so that elementary school teachers have the skills and comfort level they need to nurture young children's natural curiosity. NSF has funded some great research on STEM education that could be applied in the classroom, including work on teaching critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity and digital literacy.

With the internet, it is now possible for students to talk to practicing scientists and engineers, even if they don't live close to where the student is. Perhaps one good thing that the pandemic has taught us is that – if done correctly – virtual connectivity can augment educational opportunities in a very dramatic way. 

I also think there needs to be communication between the various groups that are responsible for K-12 education. For the most part that happens at the local school district, and standards are often set by the state. There needs to be communication between the federal level – which is where much science and math policy is established – and the very local level where the education policy is set and the requirements for education are carried out. It is a big problem, and a big challenge. But also, a big opportunity.

When Sputnik was launched, the attention of the entire nation was riveted. We need to get a spirit of curiosity and drive to do something to change the world into every school district, both at the administration and teacher level but also on the part of the kids and their parents.

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I want to lead, i want to learn, register for the newsletter, resource library, budget, deficits, and debt, demographics, defense and national security, other programs, retirement security, taxes and revenues, infographics, you are here, how is k-12 education funded.

Public schools for students in kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) are financed through a combination of local, state, and federal dollars in proportions that vary across and within states. In the 2022 fiscal year, the most recent data available, spending for public K-12 education totaled $857 billion from all sources .

State and local governments provide the vast majority of funding for K-12 education — 86 percent of all school funding. State governments rely on formulas that distribute education funds among school districts. Those school districts use state dollars and additional revenue raised from federal and local sources to fund individual schools. Although both states and localities apply approaches intended to allocate funds fairly, disparities nevertheless occur . Those disparities primarily stem from the sources of revenues and the varying costs of providing education in each school district.

Meanwhile, the federal government provides a small share of education funding through specific grant programs. They are designed to supplement funding for schools with at-risk youth, including students with disabilities or from low-income households. During recent economic downturns, federal spending has also helped supplement diminished school funding from state and local sources.

Federal Funding Programs for K-12

The federal government provides support for K-12 education through specific grant programs administered by the states to school districts. Federal dollars supplement state resources by narrowing funding gaps for at-risk students through programs such as Title I grants under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and Part B grants under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Federal funds made up $119 billion or roughly 14 percent of total education funding during the 2022 fiscal year. That amount has doubled from pre-pandemic levels ($58 billion in 2019) partially due to legislation enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which provided emergency relief funding to address the impact that COVID-19 had on elementary and secondary schools.

Title I ESEA

Title I grants provide funds to school districts serving large shares of low-income students. It is the largest grant program of ESEA, totaling $15 billion during the 2022 fiscal year. Those funds are allocated through four formulas that are based on the number of eligible students and several provisions, including a state's target level of funding per student. Eligible students include children ages 5 to 17 in:

• low-income families;
• institutions for neglected or delinquent children or in foster homes; and
• families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families payments.

Part B IDEA and Other Programs

During the 2022 fiscal year, the federal government provided $12.5 billion in IDEA grants to states. Those funds are awarded through a formula based on a state's total population with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 21, the percentage of those individuals living in poverty, and the state's IDEA appropriations in 1999.

The federal government also allocated $29 billion for child nutrition , which was used to reimburse schools that provided free or reduced-price lunches to eligible students. About $1 billion of federal funds went directly to school districts for various programs including Impact Aid. In addition, the federal government provided $0.7 billion for vocational programs and $57 billion on the aforementioned programs for which reporting units could not provide distinct amounts.

State Funding Formulas for K-12 Education

States use formulas that aim, at least in part, to equitably distribute education funding across school districts. Although their ability to do so is limited by the resources available, those formulas account for locally raised revenues and the needs of students in each district. As a result, the state's share of education funding tends to be higher in school districts with a low capacity to raise revenues. State funding is also higher in school districts with a large concentration of students who are English-language learners, have low family incomes, or have other special needs.

Nearly all states (46 out of 50) primarily allocate education funds through foundation program formulas. Such programs establish a minimum level (or "foundation") of funding per student and ensure that each school district receives enough school funding to meet that foundation. The funding provided through foundation programs may also take into account different student characteristics, such as family income and disability status, to ensure at-risk students receive sufficient resources.

Local Funding Methods for K-12

In addition to the revenues allocated by the federal and state government, school districts raise funding at the local level, in general by levying local property taxes. Once revenues are raised and allocated from federal, state, and local sources, school districts are tasked with distributing that funding to each school in the district. School districts have typically allocated teachers, administrators, and equipment to each school while calculating funding per student retroactively based on the resources assigned.

In recent years, a number of school districts have moved away from that process and have begun to develop budgets for individual schools that apply the concept of weighted student funding formulas to assign resources based on student need. Proponents of student-based allocation argue that it would improve transparency by reflecting actual expenditures per school and promote equity by linking resources to specific needs. However, many states have layers of rules that limit the application of this new approach. Moreover, as a relatively new practice among school districts, comprehensive research on its effects is not yet available .

Why Does Education Funding Differ Across School Districts?

Nearly 43 percent of funding for public education stems from local taxes. As a result, funding can vary widely among school districts based on the wealth of families living in them. School districts with high-value property are often able to fund their schools above the minimum level established by the state, contributing to wider disparities. Those disparities become more apparent during economic downturns because wealthier school districts benefit from relatively stable revenues from property taxes. In contrast, funding for school districts more reliant on the state, and specifically a state income tax, tends to vary with economic performance. Ultimately, the variation in school finance systems produces disparate results, with some states spending far more on each student than others.

Differences in wealth among districts are partially attributable to remnants of racial covenants — legal contracts embedded in property deeds to prevent nonwhite people from moving to an area. Although those covenants have not been enforceable for decades, their impacts persist today. For example, a 2019 analysis by EdBuild found that predominantly nonwhite districts received $23 billion less than predominantly white districts from state and local governments despite serving the same number of students.

Despite school districts allocating resources based on standardized factors like student-teacher ratios that, in theory, should fairly distribute funding per student between schools, there can be significant disparities in the amounts actually spent on schools within a district. That can partially stem from the school district’s practice of distributing resources, not dollars, which masks higher spending for some schools. For example, a school assigned educators with more experience would receive higher funding for teacher compensation .

While state financing programs aim to fairly distribute funding and resources across all school districts, no state is capable of fully equalizing funding disparities. Those disparities are driven by differences among districts in the cost of education as well as the ability and willingness of districts to spend money on education. Further, while financing from the federal government has resulted in increased funding for disadvantaged students, the method of financing is also limited.

How Has Education Funding Changed over Time?

Over the past century, the local share of education funding has declined, with state funding largely making up the difference. The federal share of education funding has been relatively constant over the last 40 years after generally rising from 1920 to 1980.

State revenue streams are an important tool in limiting funding disparities, but can be particularly volatile during recessions, leading to reductions in funding for programs like education. In recent economic downturns, such as during the Great Recession, federal support increased to offset declines in state resources. However, while federal funding was used to mitigate state-level declines during the 2007–2009 recession, average education funding declined when the economy recovered and federal funding tapered off. Many states did not compensate for the loss of federal funding ; in 2019, 17 states spent less than they did in 2008 (in inflation-adjusted terms), according to the Pew Charitable Trusts.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government sent an additional $190 billion to states and school districts in emergency funding for K-12 education . That investment is nearly triple the amount the federal government spent on K-12 education in the previous school year and increased the share of education revenue received from federal sources. That spending was intended to assist schools in responding to the pandemic while maintaining academic progress. Federal spending on K-12 education is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels in subsequent years.

K-12 education funding is an important investment in our future . Understanding the complicated joint commitment and relationships among local, state, and federal governments to fund education is a key part of discerning its place in the budget among other priorities and against the backdrop of an unsustainable federal fiscal outlook.

Solutions Initiative 2024

National debt clock.

The Bottom Line What Will It Take to Put U.S. K-12 Education on a Better Path?

There’s no question that public school students have experienced learning loss since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020. Closed schools, remote instruction, and reduced school hours have made the loss inevitable for most. The exceptions are students who received supplemental learning support beyond what their public schools provided – whether from parents, grandparents, older siblings, tutors, learning centers, or online resources.

Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), a research-based nonprofit that assesses student progress and proficiency, recently released a report on learning during COVID-19. It found that students started the 2021–2022 school year with a 9- to 11-percentile-point decline in math and a 3- to 7-percentile-point decline in reading. The learning loss was greater among Hispanic, American Indian, and black students than among Asian and white students. Additionally, high-poverty students had greater than average learning loss.

The learning loss leads to substantial economic effects. According to an analysis from Dan Goldhaber, Thomas Kane, and Andrew McEachin, the deficit represents $43,800 in lifetime earnings per student. Multiply that by the 50 million students currently enrolled in public schools, and the figure is staggering: $2 trillion. Clearly, the impact is not only hurting our students today but will also be carried with them into their adult years.

The U.S. K-12 education system must change from adult-focused to student-focused, input-focused to output-focused, teaching-focused to learning-focused, group-focused to individual-focused, and time-focused to competency-focused. Keri D. Ingraham

Goldhaber, Kane, and McEachin provide additional insights regarding how long it will take for students to recover. For example, they noted that in grades four and five, it would take “an additional eight to 10 weeks of instruction to cover the loss in reading and math, respectively. In grades 6 through 8, where the material is more complex and students’ rate of progress slows, it would take an additional 14 and 19 weeks of instruction to cover those losses in reading and math, respectively.”

Parents want this learning loss remedied. At-home remote learning not only revealed to them how inefficient the education system was but also demonstrated the vastly differing learning needs among students. Consequently, parents are no longer satisfied with the ineffective one-size-fits-all approach – 95 percent of parents support tailored instruction as the key to recovering student learning loss and improving K-12 education. Parents understand that every child is uniquely wired, with differing strengths and interests. It’s illogical to conclude that all children will learn in the same way and at the same rate – but that’s how our current system operates.

This leads to a pivotal question: What stands in the way of personalizing education? With $800 billion annually devoted to K-12 public education (expanded by an additional nearly $200 billion of federal funding during the pandemic), the problem is clearly not lack of money. Nor can it be a lack of technology, as virtually every student now has an Internet-connected device during the school day. Ultimately, what stands in the way is a stagnant system, with its dearth of leadership and innovation and its entrenched interests that staunchly maintain the status quo.

We can and must do better for our students. What will it take to make up for the learning loss and set the United States’ K-12 education system on a better trajectory? It’s going to take one state to set an example – one state to show the courage to make policy changes that challenge entrenched interests, break down constraints to innovation, and open the door for a new breed of education leaders who will champion personalized learning.

These policy changes must address everything from increasing competition through universal school choice, allowing funding to follow students, promoting and expanding education savings accounts, supporting charter schools, awarding credit for learning activities outside school, redesigning the school year and day, and revamping grade levels and graduation requirements. Additionally, changes must be made to the curriculum, instruction methods, assessments, teacher and administrator certification, teacher seniority pay, and school-board selection processes. Foundational to making the required reforms is granting schools and districts the flexibility to innovate. And making these changes will only be possible if we transform how we select and train education leaders.  

It’s going to take one state changing the system from adult-focused to student-focused, input-focused to output-focused, teaching-focused to learning-focused, group-focused to individual-focused, and time-focused to competency-focused. This will require the governor, state legislature, and state educational establishment to unite around a common vision and work together. Such a transformation can only occur in a state willing to break the power of teacher unions and their domination of employment policies, teaching philosophies and practices, and educational purse strings.

If we can get just one state to flip K-12 education on its head, other states will follow, in time.

Which state has the courage and leadership to lead the way?

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