They Spend WHAT? The Real Cost of Public Schools

 by Adam B. Schaeffer

Although public schools are usually the biggest item in state and local budgets, spending figures provided by public school officials and reported in the media often leave out major costs of education and thus understate what is actually spent.

To document the phenomenon, this paper reviews district budgets and state records for the nation's five largest metro areas and the District of Columbia. It reveals that, on average, per-pupil spending in these areas is 44 percent higher than officially reported. 

Read the Report Below for Enlightenment.

They Spend WHAT? The Real Cost of Public Schools, Cato Policy Analysis No. 662