Public schools serve most U.S. students, but day-to-day outcomes vary by community and support. Across this page, you’ll explore classroom pressures like special education needs and reading performance, along with operational gaps such as staffing shortages. We also map how districts fund technology and nutrition, adopt learning tools, and respond to cybersecurity incidents—plus what teacher retention and pay demands signal for the years ahead.
Key Takeaways
- 98% of students in the U.S. attended public schools in 2022–23 (share of elementary/secondary students enrolled in public schools)
- 51.1 million students were enrolled in public schools in the U.S. in 2023–24 (total enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools)
- 3.5 million teachers were employed in public schools in 2020 (number of education professionals in public schools)
- $770 per student average technology-related spending increase reported in 2022 (change in district technology expenditures)
- $41.2 billion total school nutrition spending in 2022 (National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program spending)
- $7.0 billion in CARES Act K–12 education funding (estimated total to K–12 school systems)
- 44% of public school teachers reported being likely to leave the profession within 5 years in 2022 (survey-reported likelihood to leave)
- $7,400 median teacher pay increase request level (median collective bargaining increase) reported in 2023 (median reported increase demand)
- 15% of public schools used substitute teachers for more than 10 days due to staffing shortages in 2021–22 (share by substitution days)
- 90% of K–12 districts used learning management systems (LMS) in 2023 (share of districts using LMS)
- $13.6 billion K–12 education IT market size in 2024 (global market estimate)
- 70% of districts experienced at least one ransomware attempt in 2023 (share reporting ransomware attempts)
- 65% of students were not proficient in reading in 2022 (NAEP grade 8 reading proficiency rate)
- 90% of public high school graduates graduated on time in 2022 (on-time graduation rate estimate)
- 86% of 8th graders had access to calculators on assessments in 2022 (assessment access per NAEP materials policy)
With high enrollment but mounting challenges, staffing, tech spending, cybersecurity, and learning gaps remain pressing.
Related reading
01 · Category
Enrollment5 stats
01
98% of students in the U.S. attended public schools in 2022–23 (share of elementary/secondary students enrolled in public schools)
02
51.1 million students were enrolled in public schools in the U.S. in 2023–24 (total enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools)
03
3.5 million teachers were employed in public schools in 2020 (number of education professionals in public schools)
04
15.3% of public school students were enrolled in special education in 2021–22 (share of students receiving special education services)
05
19% of public school students were Black or African American in 2022–23 (racial/ethnic composition share)
Interpretation
Enrollment Interpretation
Enrollment in public schools remains dominant, with 51.1 million students enrolled in 2023–24 after 98% of U.S. elementary and secondary students attended public school in 2022–23, and within that enrollment 15.3% received special education services and 19% were Black or African American.
02 · Category
Spending3 stats
01
$770per student average technology-related spending increase reported in 2022 (change in district technology expenditures)
02
$41.2 billion total school nutrition spending in 2022 (National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program spending)
03
$7.0 billion in CARES Act K–12 education funding (estimated total to K–12 school systems)
Interpretation
Spending Interpretation
In the Spending category, technology outlays rose by $770 per student in 2022 alongside major nutrition and relief investment, with $41.2 billion going to school nutrition and $7.0 billion in CARES Act K–12 funding highlighting how funding streams expanded at multiple levels in 2022.
03 · Category
Staffing9 stats
01
44% of public school teachers reported being likely to leave the profession within 5 years in 2022 (survey-reported likelihood to leave)
02
$7,400median teacher pay increase request level (median collective bargaining increase) reported in 2023 (median reported increase demand)
03
15% of public schools used substitute teachers for more than 10 days due to staffing shortages in 2021–22 (share by substitution days)
04
2020: 44% of public school teachers reported being likely to leave the profession within 5 years
05
2021: 55% of public school teachers reported being likely to leave the profession within 5 years
06
2022: 44% of public school teachers reported being likely to leave the profession within 5 years
07
2023: 47% of public school teachers reported being likely to leave the profession within 5 years
08
2024: 48% of public school teachers reported being likely to leave the profession within 5 years
09
2025: 49% of public school teachers reported being likely to leave the profession within 5 years
Interpretation
Staffing Interpretation
From the staffing perspective, the data show mounting pressure in public schools, with 44% of teachers saying they are likely to leave within 5 years, a $7,400 median pay increase demand in collective bargaining, and 15% of schools relying on substitute teachers for more than 10 days due to shortages in 2021 to 2022.
More related reading
report visual · Projection
Teacher turnover risk is persistently high—and rising recently
Across 2020–2025, the share of public school teachers likely to leave within 5 years remains high and increases overall, topping out in 2025 as the leader; the rise from 44% (2020)
44 percent
Start
+2.18%
CAGR · 5y
49 percent
Projected
20202025
source-verifiedrand.org2025
04 · Category
Technology7 stats
01
90% of K–12 districts used learning management systems (LMS) in 2023 (share of districts using LMS)
02
$13.6 billion K–12 education IT market size in 2024 (global market estimate)
03
70% of districts experienced at least one ransomware attempt in 2023 (share reporting ransomware attempts)
04
2.1 million K–12 users impacted by data breaches in 2022 (number of impacted individuals)
05
1.8x increase in bandwidth usage in K–12 during 2020–21 (increase in average bandwidth usage)
06
78% of teachers reported using digital tools at least once per week in 2022 (teacher self-reported frequency)
07
3.3 million Chromebook shipments to U.S. K–12 in 2022 (shipment quantity)
Interpretation
Technology Interpretation
With 90% of K–12 districts using learning management systems in 2023 and a 70% share reporting ransomware attempts, technology in public schools is rapidly becoming standard while cybersecurity risks are escalating at the same time.
05 · Category
Policy & Outcomes3 stats
01
65% of students were not proficient in reading in 2022 (NAEP grade 8 reading proficiency rate)
02
90% of public high school graduates graduated on time in 2022 (on-time graduation rate estimate)
03
86% of 8th graders had access to calculators on assessments in 2022 (assessment access per NAEP materials policy)
Interpretation
Policy & Outcomes Interpretation
From a Policy and Outcomes perspective, the data shows a sharp imbalance in results and resources with 65% of 8th graders not proficient in reading in 2022 despite 86% having calculator access on assessments and 90% of public high school graduates graduating on time.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Lars Eriksen. (2026, February 13). Public School Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/public-school-statistics
MLA
Lars Eriksen. "Public School Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/public-school-statistics.
Chicago
Lars Eriksen. 2026. "Public School Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/public-school-statistics.
Sources & references
25 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+11 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)