America spends too much on K-12 schools | Erika Sanzi Sep 25, 2026 Sep 25, 2026 Prefer us on Google Learn More Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save The U.S. spends too much on K–12 education. Erika Sanzi kAmkDA2?m%92E 5@6D ?@E >62? 6G6CJ 6IA6?5:EFC6 :D F??646DD2CJ[ @C E92E 6G6CJ DE2E6 D9@F=5 DA6?5 E96 D2>6 2>@F?E[ @C E92E D49@@=D 4@F=5 @A6C2E6 H:E9@FE 25>:?:DEC2E@CD[ EC2?DA@CE2E:@? 2?5 DFAA@CE D6CG:46D] xE >62?D E96 AC:46 @7 AF3=:4 65F42E:@? 92D 364@>6 5:D4@??64E65 7C@> C6DF=ED 2?5 E96 ?F>36C @7 DEF56?ED D6CG65] %2IA2J6CD 2C6 A2J:?8 4@?D:56C23=J >@C6 7@C =6DD]k^DA2?m k^AmkAmkDA2?muC@> 72== a_`h E@ 72== a_ac[ AF3=:4 D49@@= 6?C@==>6?E 76== 3J `]c >:==:@?[ @C a]gT] u2==:?8 3:CE9 C2E6D 6IA=2:? A2CE @7 E92E 564=:?6] u2>:=:6D 2=D@ 92G6 >@G65 E@ AC:G2E6 D49@@=D[ 9@>6D49@@=:?8[ >:4C@\D49@@=D 2?5 @E96C 2=E6C?2E:G6D] x? 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E96 @AA@D:E6 5:C64E:@?] p44@C5:?8 E@ E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^FC=5676?D6]4@>^Gb^009EEADi^AC@5\:6D\5>\>:8C2E:@?]Db]FD\8@G\H6DE\`]2>2K@?2HD]4@>^?46D^2DD6E03F:=56C052E2^a_ae^_c^a_ae__g0u*ac}!tu$0u:CDE{@@<]A5700jPP{G*K:4xP?upvuca%}#Dg;:2ye%AbK(Ga:ex;&A}>{`~B"h;=2t(359F#v<gff2r"?y(&4KDA%{+crJ@#pq#c!DcSQm}2E:@?2= r6?E6C 7@C t5F42E:@? $E2E:DE:4Dk^2m[ 6IA6?5:EFC6D A6C AFA:= :?4C62D65 7C@> S`b[`gf :? 7:D42= J62C a_`h E@ S`f[ecc :? 7:D42= J62C a_ac — 2 bcT ?@>:?2= :?4C62D6]k^DA2?m k^AmkAmkDA2?m$A6?5:?8 2=D@ :?4C62D65 27E6C 25;FDE:?8 7@C :?7=2E:@?] r@?8C6DD 2FE9@C:K65 2? 255:E:@?2= k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]82@]8@G^2DD6ED^82@\ac\`_eh`b\9:89=:89ED]A57Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmS`gh]d 3:==:@?k^2m :? E6>A@C2CJ 7656C2= r~'xs\`h C6=:67 7@C D49@@=D 5FC:?8 E9:D A6C:@5]k^DA2?mk^Am kAmkDA2?m$49@@=D 5:5 ?@E FD6 E92E 6IA2?D:@k^DA2?m? >6C6=J E@ AC6D6CG6 DE277:?8 =6G6=D] %96J 25565 6>A=@J66D] q6EH66? 72== a_`b 2?5 72== a_aa[ AF3=:4\D49@@= 6?C@==>6?E 564=:?65 3J cae[_dg DEF56?ED H9:=6 D49@@=D 25565 e_f[deh DE277 >6>36CD] %@E2= DE277:?8 8C6H `_T[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^FC=5676?D6]4@>^Gb^009EEADi^36==H6E96C]@C8^AF3=:42E:@?D^564=:?:?8\6?C@==>6?E\:?\`_\7:8FC6D^00jPP{G*K:4xP?upvuca%}#Dg;:2ye%AbK(Ga:ex;&A}>{`~B"h;=2t(359F#v<gff2r"?y(&4KDA%{+crJ@#&x_6'FtSQmkDA2?mq6==H6E96C 2?2=JD:Dk^DA2?mk^2m] s:DEC:4E 25>:?:DEC2E:G6 DE277:?8 — :?4=F5:?8 @77:4:2=D[ 25>:?:DEC2E@CD 2?5 :?DECF4E:@?2= 4@@C5:?2E@CD — :?4C62D65 3J ch[ef` A@D:E:@?D[ @C beT]k^Am kAmkDA2?m$EF56?E A6C7@C>2?46 5:5 ?@E 7@==@H E96 D2>6 EC2;64E@CJ] }2E:@?2= C625:?8 D4@C6D 564=:?65 282:? :? a_ac] p>@?8 AF3=:4\D49@@= DEF56?ED[ @?=J b_T @7 7@FCE9\8C256CD 2?5 ahT @7 6:89E9\8C256CD A6C7@C>65 2E @C 23@G6 AC@7:4:6?4J :? C625:?8] yFDE afT @7 6:89E9\8C256CD C624965 AC@7:4:6?4J :? >2E9] $4@C6D :? 3@E9 DF3;64ED C6>2:?65 36=@H a_`h =6G6=D]k^DA2?mk^Am Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts Spend more on schools in poor districts that badly need it | James Rosen glaring spending gap On the surface, the U.S. seems to spend a lot on education — more per student than all but a… kAmkDA2?m%92E :D ?@E 2? 2C8F>6?E 7@C D49@@=D E@ DA6?5 >@?6J 5:776C6?E=J] xE :D 6G:56?46 E92E E96 4@F?ECJ :D DA6?5:?8 E@@ >F49 7@C E96 65F42E:@? :E C646:G6Di 76H6C DEF56?ED[ >@C6 6>A=@J66D[ 9:896C 4@DED 2?5 564=:?:?8 C6DF=ED]k^DA2?m k^Am kAmkDA2?m%96 2>@F?E DA6?E A6C AFA:= 2=D@ D9@F=5 ?@E 36 4@?7FD65 H:E9 E96 2>@F?E C6249:?8 4=2DDC@@>D] rFCC6?E 6IA6?5:EFC6D :?4=F56 :?DECF4E:@?[ 3FE 2=D@ 25>:?:DEC2E:@?[ EC2?DA@CE2E:@?[ 7@@5 D6CG:46[ DEF56?E DFAA@CE[ @A6C2E:@?D 2?5 >2:?E6?2?46] kDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>QmqC@256C D49@@= 3F586ED 42CCJ 4@?DECF4E:@? 6IA6?D6D 2?5 563E @3=:82E:@?D] s:DEC:4ED 2=D@ A2J 7@C 4@?DF=E2?ED[ 4@>>F?:42E:@?D 56A2CE>6?ED[ =682= 2?5 4@>A=:2?46 @77:46D[ 2?5 @E96C 24E:G:E:6D E92E 5@ ?@E 5:C64E=J E6249 49:=5C6? 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D@>6 DE2E6D @3E2:? 4@>A6E:E:G6 C6DF=ED 7@C 5C2>2E:42==J =6DD — E96 4@?4=FD:@? :D DEC2:89E7@CH2C5i %96 &]$] DA6?5D E@@ >F49 @? z\`a 65F42E:@? 2?5 86ED E@@ =:EE=6 :? C6EFC?]k^DA2?mk^Am Sanzi is director of communications at Defending Education. She wrote this for InsideSources.com. Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Related to this story Most Popular Who will be Madison's next mayor? | Center Stage with Milfred and Hands Scott Resnick, the former city alderman who ran for mayor in 2015, helps Milfred and Hands size up the strengths and weaknesses of the growing… Have we already lost control of artificial intelligence? | The Ethical Life podcast 🎧 Can increasingly capable machines share human values? 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