Bullying and mental health gaps show up again and again across school systems, even as tech access and school resources vary widely. At the same time, 20.2% of students reported being bullied at school in the past 12 months in 2019 while 17% of principals in 2021 reported a shortage of mental health staff. School Race brings these patterns together to show how they overlap across student needs, staffing, safety, and the supports students actually receive.
Key Takeaways
- 20.2% of students reported being bullied at school during the past 12 months (2019), per YRBS
- 27.2% of public schools reported at least one incident of bullying in 2019-20, per NCES School Crime Supplement
- 23% of teachers report students do not have access to the internet at home (2017), per the RAND American Teacher Panel
- 17% of principals reported that their school had a shortage of mental health staff (2021), per a RAND survey
- 1,000 students per 1 school counselor is not met in many U.S. districts; the average counselor-to-student ratio is 1 counselor per 471 students (2019), per Education Trust
- 93% of cloud security breaches were attributed to misconfigurations or leaked credentials (2023), per Verizon’s DBIR
- 3.5% of children were homeschooled in the U.S. in 2020, per NHES (U.S. Department of Education / NCES)
- 1.5% year-over-year enrollment decline in fall 2022 vs. fall 2021 (U.S. public schools), per NCES
- 26.0% of public school students were identified as students with disabilities (2019-20), per NCES
- $752 billion estimated U.S. K-12 education spending in 2022 (public + private, including state/local), per National Education Association (NEA) / education spending estimates
- $14,458 average per-pupil expenditure for U.S. elementary and secondary schools in 2020-21 (current dollars), per NCES
- $17,698 average per-pupil expenditure for students with disabilities (2019-20), per NCES (analysis of spending patterns)
- 27% of students in grades 6–12 reported experiencing bullying at school during the past 12 months (2019)
- 54% of teachers reported at least one student in their class was bullied in the 2021–22 school year
- $14.2 billion was spent on K–12 education software in the U.S. in 2023
Bullying and mental health staffing gaps persist nationwide, alongside growing technology and enrollment pressures in U.S. schools.
Related reading
Safety & Climate
120.2% of students reported being bullied at school during the past 12 months (2019), per YRBS[1]
Verified
227.2% of public schools reported at least one incident of bullying in 2019-20, per NCES School Crime Supplement[2]
Single source
Safety & Climate Interpretation
For the Safety and Climate picture, the data show that 20.2% of students reported bullying in the past 12 months while 27.2% of public schools reported at least one bullying incident in 2019 to 2020, indicating bullying remains a significant issue affecting a substantial share of both students and schools.
Resource & Equity
123% of teachers report students do not have access to the internet at home (2017), per the RAND American Teacher Panel[3]
Verified
217% of principals reported that their school had a shortage of mental health staff (2021), per a RAND survey[4]
Single source
31,000 students per 1 school counselor is not met in many U.S. districts; the average counselor-to-student ratio is 1 counselor per 471 students (2019), per Education Trust[5]
Verified
Resource & Equity Interpretation
From a Resource and Equity perspective, gaps in basic supports are stark with 23% of teachers reporting students lack home internet, 17% of principals citing mental health staffing shortages, and counselor capacity averaging just 1 counselor per 471 students despite benchmarks of 1 counselor per 1,000 students.
More related reading
Technology & Adoption
193% of cloud security breaches were attributed to misconfigurations or leaked credentials (2023), per Verizon’s DBIR[6]
Verified
Technology & Adoption Interpretation
In 2023, 93% of cloud security breaches were caused by misconfigurations or leaked credentials, underscoring that technology adoption efforts need to prioritize safer setup and access hygiene to reduce preventable risks.
Enrollment & Demographics
13.5% of children were homeschooled in the U.S. in 2020, per NHES (U.S. Department of Education / NCES)[7]
Verified
21.5% year-over-year enrollment decline in fall 2022 vs. fall 2021 (U.S. public schools), per NCES[8]
Verified
326.0% of public school students were identified as students with disabilities (2019-20), per NCES[9]
Verified
448.3% of public school students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2021-22, per NCES[10]
Verified
Enrollment & Demographics Interpretation
Under the Enrollment and Demographics angle, U.S. public schools are showing signs of pressure and higher need, with a 1.5% year-over-year enrollment decline in fall 2022 and large student populations including 26.0% identified as students with disabilities and 48.3% eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2021-22.
More related reading
Cost & Funding
1$752 billion estimated U.S. K-12 education spending in 2022 (public + private, including state/local), per National Education Association (NEA) / education spending estimates[11]
Verified
2$14,458 average per-pupil expenditure for U.S. elementary and secondary schools in 2020-21 (current dollars), per NCES[12]
Verified
3$17,698 average per-pupil expenditure for students with disabilities (2019-20), per NCES (analysis of spending patterns)[13]
Verified
Cost & Funding Interpretation
With U.S. K-12 spending totaling about $752 billion in 2022 and averaging $14,458 per-pupil in 2020 to 21, the cost and funding picture becomes even more striking because students with disabilities receive $17,698 per-pupil, showing clear upward funding pressure within the same system.
Student Outcomes
127% of students in grades 6–12 reported experiencing bullying at school during the past 12 months (2019)[14]
Verified
254% of teachers reported at least one student in their class was bullied in the 2021–22 school year[15]
Verified
Student Outcomes Interpretation
Student outcomes show a troubling and sustained bullying concern, with 27% of grades 6–12 students reporting bullying in 2019 and 54% of teachers in 2021–22 saying at least one student in their class was bullied.
More related reading
Market Size
1$14.2 billion was spent on K–12 education software in the U.S. in 2023[16]
Directional
2$5.7 billion was the U.S. school transportation market size in 2023[17]
Verified
312.7 million students used online learning platforms at least once in 2023 (U.S.)[18]
Verified
419% of U.S. districts reported using AI tools in at least one classroom in 2024[19]
Verified
Market Size Interpretation
With K–12 education software spending reaching $14.2 billion in 2023 and 12.7 million U.S. students using online learning platforms at least once that year, the Market Size picture is clearly shifting toward digital and AI enabled classroom tools, reinforced by 19% of U.S. districts using AI tools in at least one classroom in 2024.
Policy & Funding
1U.S. public school enrollment was 49.1 million students in fall 2022[20]
Verified
2U.S. public school spending per student was $14,458 in 2020–21 (current dollars)[21]
Verified
348 states and D.C. reported adopting statewide anti-bullying policies by 2023[22]
Verified
Policy & Funding Interpretation
For the Policy & Funding angle, nearly universal support for student protection is evident as 48 states and D.C. adopted statewide anti-bullying policies by 2023, alongside major ongoing investment with U.S. public schools serving 49.1 million students in fall 2022 and spending $14,458 per student in 2020 to 2021.
More related reading
Implementation & Staffing
12.2% of public schools reported a serious incident of bullying in the 2019–20 school year[23]
Verified
21.0% of public school administrators reported that their school had a security shortage in 2021 (U.S.)[24]
Verified
362% of principals reported that mental health supports were not sufficient to meet student needs in 2021[25]
Verified
43,800 school nurses served public schools in 2021 (U.S.) per 100,000 students[26]
Verified
51.4 million school-age children were in foster care in the U.S. during the 2019–20 school year[27]
Verified
Implementation & Staffing Interpretation
Implementation and staffing challenges appear widespread, with 62% of principals reporting insufficient mental health supports in 2021 and only 3,800 school nurses per 100,000 students serving in that same year.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
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
Leah Kessler. (2026, February 13). School Race Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/school-race-statistics
MLA
Leah Kessler. "School Race Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/school-race-statistics.
Chicago
Leah Kessler. 2026. "School Race Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/school-race-statistics.
References
- 1cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/ss/ss6901a1.htm
- 14cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/index.htm
- 26cdc.gov/nhsn/
- 2nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d21/tables/dt21_228.40.asp
- 7nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d22/tables/dt22_104.20.asp
- 8nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=372
- 9nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d21/tables/dt21_204.10.asp
- 10nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d22/tables/dt22_221.20.asp
- 12nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_236.10.asp
- 13nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_214.10.asp
- 20nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_208.10.asp
- 21nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_236.70.asp
- 23nces.ed.gov/surveys/ssocs/
- 3rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2663.html
- 4rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1679-1.html
- 25rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1101-1.html
- 5educationtrust.org/resource/school-counselors-and-student-outcomes/
- 6verizon.com/business/resources/reports/dbir/
- 11nea.org/resource-library/how-much-does-us-spend-education-k-12
- 15chronicle.com/article/teacher-survey-students-mental-health
- 16gartner.com/en/documents/4027962
- 17globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/02/15/2822697/0/en/School-Transportation-Market-Size-to-Reach-5-7-Billion-By-2030.html
- 18classcentral.com/report/us-online-learning-2023
- 19iste.org/explore/articleDetail?articleid=2529
- 22stopbullying.gov/resources/laws/
- 24ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7890000/
- 27acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/child-welfare-data