American schools cost more than ever but our students still keep failing
U.S. K‑12 Education Facing Budget Surplus and Academic Decline, Data Show
By Maine News Now Staff
Recent international and domestic studies paint a stark picture of the United States’ public schooling system. While the country spends more per student than any other nation, its 15‑year‑olds are performing among the lowest in reading and math in a generation. The data reveal a mismatch between spending, enrollment trends, and outcomes that has sparked renewed calls for school‑choice reforms.
PISA results place U.S. in a “historic low”
The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), administered by the OECD every three years, measures academic achievement of 15‑year‑olds in reading, mathematics and science. The latest 2026 report shows U.S. students scored 14 points lower in reading than the previous cycle and reached a low point in mathematics that has not been seen in a decade. The drop in reading proficiency is the largest decline in a generation for the U.S.
Spending tops the world, but satisfaction plummets
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, public schools spend an average of $21,000 per student, exceeding the per‑student spending of all other countries combined. A 2026 Gallup poll found that 67% of adults reported dissatisfaction with the K‑12 system, the lowest satisfaction level recorded in the survey’s history.
These figures raise questions about the efficiency and effectiveness of the public system. The same data show a troubling trend: enrollment in public schools is falling faster than staffing is shrinking.
Enrollment declines outpace job growth in public schools
Since 2014, the number of students enrolled in government‑run schools dropped by about 775,000, while public‑school employment grew by roughly 620,000 positions. The growth in teacher and staff numbers, compared with declining enrollment, suggests that the public system is increasingly functioning as a source of jobs for adults rather than an educational service for children.
A recent report cited that the number of K‑12 public‑school students has declined in more than half of the states, a trend that is expected to intensify as populations shift and as families seek alternative options.
Case studies highlight problems
Frederick Douglass Academy High School, Chicago
The academy was constructed to accommodate more than 1,000 students. In 2026, it enrolled just 27 students and employed 28 teachers and other staff. Nearly two‑thirds of the students were chronically absent. The school spends over $90,000 per pupil and yet no student was measured as proficient in either math or reading on state assessments.
New York City public schools
In 2026, 43% of New York City public‑school students attended “failing” campuses, where more than half the student body was not proficient in both math and reading. The city spent an average of more than $40,000 per child, translating into roughly $500,000 per student over a typical 13‑year K‑12 career.
These examples illustrate a pattern of high spending, high staffing ratios, and low academic performance.
Rise of school choice and homeschooling
The past six years have seen 18 states adopt universal school‑choice policies that expand voucher or charter‑school options. Meanwhile, homeschooling enrollment has surged. In New York State, homeschooling numbers increased by more than 200% over the past 15 years, bringing the total to 53,905 students learning at home. Homeschooling has become especially popular in New York City, a trend that some attribute to restrictive local regulations on private schools.
In Texas, a new school‑choice program achieved a “major win” in 2025, but the allocation of only $1 billion created a waitlist of over 100,000 children. Texas’ per‑student public‑school spending is roughly twice the scholarship amount of $10,000 per student per year that the voucher program provides. State comptroller Don Huffines has suggested doubling the funding next year, though the program still faces capacity limits.
What the data suggest
- The U.S. is the most expensive country in the world for K‑12 education, yet its students are underperforming compared to peers.
- Enrollment in public schools is decreasing nationwide, while staffing levels are rising.
- A handful of schools illustrate systemic issues: high spending, high staff-to-student ratios, and low proficiency rates.
- School choice and homeschooling have gained traction as families seek alternatives to public schools.
- Legislative changes in a few states reflect a growing acceptance of alternative educational pathways.
The data do not yet answer why the United States is spending so heavily on a system that is failing to meet its educational objectives. They do, however, provide a clear set of metrics that policymakers, educators, and families can use to assess the effectiveness of current reforms and to design future policies that align spending with outcomes.