| Then | Now | |
| Enrollment | 51.3 million | 51.7 million |
| Public | 46.0 million | 45.9 million |
| Private | 5.2 million | 5.8 million |
| Teachers | 2.1 million | 3.0 million |
| Average teacher salary (adjusted for inflation) | $36,500 | $37,846 |
| Guidance counselors | 49,000 | 83,000 |
| Principals | 91,000 | 121,000 |
| Public schools | 89,372 | 82,785 |
| School districts | 17,995 | 14,881 |
| Pupils per teacher | 22.3 | 17.4 |
| Then | Now | |
| Total cost per pupil* (adjusted for inflation) | $4,122 | $6,857 |
| Total education spending, K-12 (adjusted for inflation) | $148.6 billion | $231.5 billion |
| Federal education spending (adjusted for inflation) | $15.9 billion | $18.3 billion |
| Federal share of K-12 revenues | 8.9% | 7% |
| Transportation spending | $5.2 billion | $9.4 billion |
| Then | Now | |
| Children in poverty | 15.1% | 21% |
| Children ages 3-5 in preschool | 37.5% | 61% |
| Dropouts (ages 16-24) | 14.7% | 10.5% |
| Combined SAT scores | 937 | 910 |
| High school graduates who go to college | 53.4% | 61.2% |
Note:
Most “then” figures refer to 1971-72, although some reflect data from 1969-70, 1970-71, or 1972-73. “Now” figures reflect the latest available data, ranging from 1993 to 1996. Unless otherwise noted figures refer to public schools only.
* Cost per pupil in average daily attendance.
SOURCES: U.S Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of the Census.
