Rising Costs, Stagnant Results: A Crisis in Public Education
Posted By RichC on March 26, 2025
Since 1970, the cost of K-12 education in the U.S. has skyrocketed, yet student performance has remained disappointingly flat. Data from the Cato Institute and the U.S. Department of Education highlight a troubling trend—while inflation-adjusted per-student spending has more than tripled, reading, math, 
and science scores have barely budged.
As of 2024, the average per-student expenditure in public schools has reached nearly $17,000, a dramatic increase from previous decades. Federal funding surged even further during and after COVID-19, with nearly $190 billion allocated to K-12 schools for pandemic-related challenges. Despite these record-high investments, academic achievement has struggled to recover, with standardized test scores in reading and math showing declines or stagnation.
Beyond costs, the pandemic underscored deep inefficiencies within the education system. Chronic absenteeism doubled, learning gaps widened, and bureaucratic hurdles slowed the effective use of federal relief funds. However, these issues existed long before COVID-19—the pandemic merely exposed and exacerbated them.
The real question remains: Why hasn’t increased spending translated into better results? Administrative and staffing expansions have far outpaced student growth, raising concerns about resource allocation. While funding is essential, throwing more money at the problem without structural reform has not produced the desired outcomes.
With education spending at historic highs but performance stagnating, it may be time to rethink our approach, or perhaps way past time!
- Should more decision-making power return to local communities?
- Should school choice and competition play a larger role?
One thing is clear: the current system needs more than just money—it needs accountability and innovation.
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