The information
provided in this publication was reported by state education agency
officials to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for
the Common Core of Data (CCD). It relates to student membership in public
schools and school districts in the United States and outlying areas
during the 1997-98 school year, and to revenues and expenditures for
fiscal year 1996.
- The 100 largest
public school districts, representing less than 1 percent of all school
districts in the nation, were responsible for the education of 23
percent of all public school students (table
A).
- The 100 largest
districts employed 20 percent of the nation's public school teachers,
and accounted for 17 percent of all public schools and 19 percent
of public high school graduates (table
A).
- The 100 largest
school districts had larger school sizes than the average school district
(714 compared to 514). In addition to larger school sizes, the 100
largest school districts also had a higher mean pupil/teacher ratio,
19.0 to 1 compared to 16.8 to 1 for the average school district (table
A).
- Three states,
Florida, Texas, and California, accounted for over one-third of the
100 largest school districts (figure
1).
- The proportion
of minority students in the 100 largest school districts was almost
double the proportion of minority students in all schools (66 compared
to 38 percent) (table C).
- Among schools
that reported free lunch eligibility, 49 percent of the students in
the 100 largest school districts were eligible for free lunch compared
to 35 percent of all students in reporting states (table
C).
- In fiscal year
1996 (1995-96 school year), current expenditures per pupil in the
100 largest school districts ranged from a low of $2,763 in the Puerto
Rico Department of Education to a high of $11,266 in Newark, New Jersey
Public Schools (table 10).
- While the numbers
of students, teachers and schools has increased between 1987-88 and
1997-98, the proportion of the national total that the 100 largest
school districts made up has not changed between these two years (table
D).
Author: John Sietsema
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