The modern public education system in the United States took shape during New England’s Common School Movement in the 1830s and 1840s. Today, the system serves approximately 83% (45 million) of enrolled K-12 students across over 98,000 schools. The remainder attend private schools or nondistrict public schools such as charters, or are homeschooled.
State governments determine curriculum and academic standards, while local school boards and districts typically manage implementation—selecting materials, pacing guides, and lesson structures. For the 2023-24 school year, spending on K-12 public education was around $17,700 per student, totaling roughly $880B. A combination of local property taxes, state revenue, and federal grants funds these expenses.
In 2023-24, 87% of school funding came from state and local sources. The US Department of Education, though providing only about 8%-10% of K-12 funding, shapes national education policy by distributing targeted grants, enforcing civil rights laws, and coordinating research.
… Read what else we learned about the US public education system here.
