Do all American kids get the same amount of money spent on their education?
Data Scavenger Hunt
Find answers to the following questions using the visual above:
What state spent the most per public school student in 2019?
What state spent the least per public school student in 2019?
How much did your state spend per public school student in 2019?
There are many ways to divide things but one handy way to divide the U.S. is into the following regions: the Northeast, Midwest, West, and South. Which of these regions, generally spends the least on education per public school student?
Draw a conclusion about that variation in spending by region. In other words, why do states spend such different amounts of money on their students?
Big Brain Questions
Answer these questions by yourself using your brain and the links below:
List one thing the chart makes you wonder:
200 years ago, the amount of money spent per pupil for public schools was basically zero dollars. In 2019, there was $13,187 spent per K-12 public school students in the US. What is one consequence of the increase in spending?
Based on the change over time in public school spending per pupil, predict how much will be spent per public school student 20 years from now
Elite universities like Harvard, Stanford, and Princeton charge huge tuition and spend lots of money to ensure they have the best resources, facilities, and faculties. Do you think that spending money on public schools makes a difference in how well the schools educate their students?
If, as the Preamble to the Constitution asserts, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” And if, as the Declaration of Independence asserts, “All men are created equal,” should educational funding be the same for all students?
Write and Discuss
Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.
Act on your Learning
Look up how much your district spends per student and share your research with your class.
Get Creative
Breaking news: 2030 - American schools all get equal funding so that they can spend the same amount on each student. Make a creative response to life in an educationally equal America.
Learn More
Spending is not only unequal between states, but also between districts within states. Learn more about why spending is so different across the nation.