Public School Funding Increases Not Leading to Improved Academic Outcomes

U.S. schools spend an average of $19,380 per pupil, the second-highest rate per student (after adjusting to local currency values) among 37 other developed nations, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). According to a new report from the Education Data Initiative, more than 3.5 percent of taxpayer dollars currently fund public education. But is that money turning into higher test scores?

According to a Business Insider report in 2018, the most recent global ranking available, the United States ranked 38th in math and 24th in science globally, and that was before the pandemic set the country’s test scores reeling. 

However, many cities in the United States have learned that throwing money at education does not necessarily lead to higher test scores. For example, New York City's spending for public education has risen 33 percent, to $26,571 per pupil, since 2016, making it the most expensive in the country. Meanwhile, enrollment dropped by 33,000 last year and, according to a policy briefing by the Citizens Budget Commission, 120,000 students and families have left city schools in the previous five years.