Districts spent an average of $10,499 per pupil in 2008-09

News release: Public school systems in the United States spent an average of $10,499 per pupil in fiscal year 2009, a 2.3 percent increase over 2008, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Public schools in New York spent more than any other state or state equivalent--$18,126 per pupil in the 2008-09 school year. Total spending by public school systems was $604.9 billion in 2008-09, a 2.0 percent increase from the prior year.