PA Spends 34 Percent More To Educate A Student Than in 2012: New Data

PENNSYLVANIA— Since 2012, school spending per student has increased 34 percent to $17,884 in Pennsylvania’s public schools, according to data from the 2021 Annual Survey of School System Finances recently released by the Census Bureau.

In 2012, public spending per student in Pennsylvania was $13,340, according to the data.

Spending per pupil in fiscal year 2021 in Pennsylvania was up $742 from the 2020 fiscal year, according to the report, which looked at the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on school spending.

The federal government provided $190 billion in COVID-19 relief funds to public schools, an infusion of cash reflected in the data. In fiscal year 2020, Pennsylvania received $2.1 billion in federal aid. That increased 41.4 percent in 2021 to $2.9 billion after the infusion of COVID-19 relief money.

Pennsylvania’s public schools received $18.6 billion in local tax money and $12.9 billion in state aid in fiscal 2021. These revenue sources increased steadily from 2012-2020; state contributions to the public school revenue decreased slightly in 2021.

Spending for instruction in Pennsylvania’s public schools increased from $13.4 billion in fiscal 2012 to $19.9 billion in fiscal 2021.

Overall, school spending has increased from $22.3 billion in 2012 to $30.6 billion in 2021. The Keystone State spends more per pupil than the national average.

The Census Bureau said that nationally, public school funding increased by 6.3 percent between fiscal years 2020 and 2021, the largest increase since 2008. Nationally, per pupil spending averaged $14,373 in fiscal year 2021, compared to $13,501 the year prior.

School spending is up more than 35 percent over the past 10 years, according to the report. In 2012, an average of $10,608 was spent per student.

Also, according to the data, public school spending per pupil in all 50 states and the District and Columbia, increased for the 10th consecutive year in 2021. Since 2012, school spending has increased by more than 35 percent, up from an average of $10,608.