United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Health, Education, and Human Services Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1995-09-15 monographic deposited born digital 61 p. GA 1.13:HEHS-95-235 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-235 P0b002ee1803a26e8 f:he95235 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-235 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-235 HEHS-95-235 Educational programs Disadvantaged persons Children Elementary education Aid for education Secondary education Public schools State/local relations State budgets Intergovernmental fiscal relations Medicaid Program Letter Report HEHS Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the current status and trends in public education spending, focusing on: (1) the current expenditure levels for education and how they have changed over time; (2) the roles local, state, and federal governments play in financing education in the United States, and how these roles have changed over time; and (3) how the states differ in their capacity to provide resources for education and their relative tax effort.<p/>GAO found that: (1) since 1980, total real expenditures in public elementary and secondary schools have increased, while the average national per pupil expenditure increased then stabilized after 1989; (2) total public expenditures for elementary and secondary education increased by 40 percent to $254.4 billion from the 1979-1980 school year to the 1992-1993 school year; (3) the number of poor children attending elementary and secondary schools has increased, and the cost of educating these and other at-risk children is higher than educating those not at risk; (4) the average per pupil expenditure for elementary and secondary students has leveled off after years of increase; (5) the average per pupil expenditure in school year 1992-1993 was $5,296; (6) the portion of state budgets designated for elementary and secondary education decreased between fiscal years 1987 and 1994; (7) states' ability to raise revenues for education grew more slowly than their willingness to raise revenues for overall spending; and (8) state and local governments feel more pressure to increase education spending in less wealthy school districts. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-235/html/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-235.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-235/pdf/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-235.pdf GAO/HEHS-95-235 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-235 Letter Report GAO/HEHS-95-235; School Finance: Trends in U.S. Education Spending; Educational programs Disadvantaged persons Children Elementary education Aid for education Secondary education Public schools State/local relations State budgets Intergovernmental fiscal relations Medicaid Program