School spending is increasing in the US; here are the standouts
Khan Academy CEO Sal Khan gives his take on the U.S. educational system.
Teachers have a huge impact on children's education.
So does school funding, which is increasing across the board. Financing for public elementary and secondary schools rose rom $671 billion in 2016 to $694 billion in 2017, the most recent year of data available, according to a recent analysis by HeyTutor, a website that helps students find tutors.
But the amount of money that goes to schools is still largely determined by the communities where they’re located. The analysis found that the vast majority of education revenue comes from state and local sources, and a much smaller amount comes from the federal government. Local property taxes accounted for $203 billion of elementary and secondary education funding in 2017.
So what do students get when their schools are better funded? In 2015, a study by The Quarterly Journal of Economics found increased per-pupil spending led to more years of completed education and higher wages.
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Hey Tutor's analysis also looked at per-pupil funding by state. Generally, states in the Northeast tend to spend more than those in the West or the South. Following are the ones shelling out the most:
10. Pennsylvania
The skyline of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in the state's south central region. (iStock)
Total spending per student: $15,798
Total spending: $27.51 billion
9. Rhode Island
People listen to music at the Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
Total spending per student: $15,943
Total spending: $2.31 billion
8. Massachusetts
Morning view of Quincy Market, across from the Great Hall of Faneuil Square in Boston.
Total spending per student: $16,197
Total spending: $16.11 billion
7. Wyoming
Morning sun hits the Grand Tetons in Grand Teton National Park. REUTERS/Price Chambers
Total spending per student: $16,537
Total spending: $1.56 billion
6. Alaska
Kristy Berington's dogs cool off with their tongues out during the official restart of the Iditarod dog sled race in Willow, Alaska. REUTERS/Nathaniel Wilder
Total spending per student: $17,838
Total spending: $2.38 billion
5. Vermont
Autumn in rural Peacham, Vermont.
Total spending per student: $18,290
Total spending: $1.69 billion
4. New Jersey
People bike past villas in Cape May, New Jersey.
Total spending per student: $18,920
Total spending: $27.45 billion
3. Connecticut
Stamford, a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, has a population of 125,109, making it the third-largest in the state. (iStock)
Total spending per student: $19,322
Total spending: $9.92 billion
2. District of Columbia
Banners hang at the entrance to the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.
Total spending per student: $21,974
Total spending: $1.15 billion
1. New York
A helicopter comes in for a landing at the 30th Street heliport in New York City. (Photo by Gary Hershorn, Getty Images)
Total spending per student: $23,091
Total spending: $63.62 billion