$27B + $15K = What?

The Pennsylvania Department of Education recently released school financial data for the 2010-11 school year. The latest data shows public school spending and revenue increased yet again in 2011, reaching $27 billion statewide. Public school revenues were $26.9 billion, while expenditures were $26.6 billion.

Since 1995, school revenues grew by 108 percent (or 45 percent after adjusting for inflation). In 2010 dollars, revenue per student grew from $10,000 in 1995-96 to more than $15,000 last year.

As mentioned last week, school district fund balances also grew, to $3.2 billion.