Which school districts spend the most money per student in the United States? You may be shocked to learn that nearly all of the districts ranked in the top 50 come from the same small island…
Which School Districts Spend the Most Money Per Student?
The top ranking school district in terms of spending per student is Syosset Central School District in Syosset New York. This district spends around $32,000 for each of it’s 6,509 students. In fact, 25 of the top 50 highest spending schools are on Long Island New York, with another handful in nearby areas. New York City schools outspend all other areas of the country by a very significant margin.
Other areas of the country that rank in the top 50 are Chicago and Boston. Boston has a very large school district as opposed to New York, which has many smaller districts on the list. Boston has over 50,000 students and spends over $24,000 on each of them. Chicago has a number of school districts that make the list, with Township High School District 211 being the most expensive. This district spends about $25,000 on each of it’s over 11,000 students.
What Do School Districts Spend Money On?
While the budget for each school district is largely predicated on the wealth of the surrounding area, the funds are spend on a number of different things. Some major categories for school district spending are:
- The maintenance and upkeep of the school buildings.
- Textbooks
- Salaries of teachers and staff
- After school programs
