Preliminary data on the 2019-2020 school year released by the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that the state of New York now spends more than $30,000 per K-12 student, further entrenching its position as the most expensive public education system in the country. Despite this new public school spending milestone, falling enrollment and dissatisfied parents indicate education dollars aren’t doing enough to help kids.
All told, New York spends $30,772 per student each year. This number doesn’t account for recent influxes of cash including $13 billion in federal COVID-19 pandemic relief and $3 billion in state dollars for last school year that taxpayers are footing the bill for. New York City schools will get roughly half of this total windfall, amounting to billions in additional funding for the embattled school district.
For perspective, this means that a typical classroom of 20 students costs New York taxpayers $615,000 each year. Yet, some still claim public education isn’t adequately funded and that high-performing charter schools like Success Academy drain funding from public schools.
K-12 spending will likely rise for the foreseeable future, but this trend is nothing new. A recent analysis by Reason Foundation reveals that between 2002 and 2019, New York’s inflation-adjusted public education revenue skyrocketed by $12,068 per pupil, or 68%. This is by far the highest growth rate in the country.
So where exactly are all of these additional dollars going? Not school choice, since New York does not allow programs such as education savings accounts or tax-credit scholarships that empower families with options outside of public schools. And they’re certainly not spent on New York City’s charter schools, which receive an estimated 19% less per student than traditional public schools, according to a study published by the University of Arkansas.
Madison spends more than most K-12 school districts.