Summary of Findings - Highlights

• Current expenditures for public elementary and secondary education totaled $403 billion in 2003-04 (table 1). This is a 4.1 percent increase from the previous year in unadjusted dollars. Using the Consumer Price Index inflation factor of 1.0219, the 2003-04 expenditures represent a 1.8 percent increase from the prior year in constant 2003-04 dollars.²
• The percentage of current expenditures spent on instruction and instruction-related activities was 66.1 percent in 2003-04 for the nation as a whole (table 2). The percentage of current expenditures spent on instruction and instruction-related activities in the 50 states ranged from 60.5 percent in Oklahoma to 71.2 percent in New York.
• Total current expenditures per student in membership were $8,310 in 2003-04 (table 3). This represents a 3.3 percent increase over the prior year in unadjusted dollars. Using the Consumer Price Index inflation factor of 1.0219, the 2003-04 expenditure per student showed a 1.1 percent increase from the prior year.³
• Current expenditures for instruction and instruction-related activities were $5,492 per student in membership in 2003-04.
• The median current expenditure per student in membership at the school district level was $7,860 (table 4). This indicates that half of the school districts spent more than $7,860 per student, and half of the school districts spent less than $7,860 per student. Ninety percent of school districts spent between $5,855 per student and $14,067 per student.

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²Current expenditures for public elementary and secondary education in school year 2002-03 were $387,592,494,244 (CCD, National Public Education Financial Survey, 2002-03). The Consumer Price Index adjusted to a school year (July 1 through June 30) was used to adjust this amount to $396,080,769,868 (in 2003-04 dollars). The Consumer Price Index is produced by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

³Current expenditures per student in membership in school year 2002-03 was $8,044 (CCD, National Public Education Financial Survey, 2002-03). The Consumer Price Index adjusted to a school year (July 1 through June 30) was used to adjust this amount to $8,220 (in 2003-04 dollars). The Consumer Price Index is produced by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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