Big Spenders: Districts among the 100 largest with the highest per-pupil expenditures

The large districts that spend the most per student tend to be systems in older urban areas in the north and east parts of the United States.

March 1, 2016

The financial squeeze on school districts in the wake of the recession of 2008 is reflected in budget figures compiled by the the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

The national median of expenditures per pupil among public K-12 school districts was $10,047 in 2012-13 (fiscal year 2013), according to the NCES. That's a decrease of 0.5 percent compared with fiscal year 2012.

But many large districts, especially those in older urban areas, where the cost of living is higher, allocate significantly more per pupil. The largest district, New York City, also tops the list of expenditure per pupil: $20,331.

Here's the list of which districts among the nation's 100 largest spend the most per student.