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Using the most recent Census Bureau data, the Reason Foundation
analysis finds that U.S. inflation-adjusted K-12 per-pupil
revenue grew by 25% or $3,211 per student between 2002 and
2020, before pandemic-related federal funding flooded school and
state balance sheets.
The Illinois inflation-adjusted per-pupil revenue increased from
$13,053 in 2002 to $20,197 in 2020 or $7,144 per student
during this time period, while enrollment declined by 6%.
Co-author Aaron Smith said instructional benefits take up the
largest piece of the spending pie.
In two states, one of which is Illinois, saw per-pupil spending
on benefits increase by 200% or more, and we know from related
data that while benefit spending is increasing, teacher salaries
across the U.S. in inflation-adjusted terms are pretty flat,
Smith said.
Inflation-adjusted spending on benefits in Illinois, which
include pensions and health-care costs, grew from $4.1 billion
in 2002 to $11.6 billion in 2020. Spending on salaries increased
from $15 billion to $16.2 billion during this time.
Nationwide, spending on benefits nearly doubled from $90 billion
to $164 billion a year. Overall inflation-adjusted spending on
salaries grew at a slower pace, from $342 billion to $372
billion during the same time period.
According to Illinois Policy, since 2008, spending on educator
pensions in Illinois has grown by 458%, while general education
spending is up only 17% in that time, adjusted for inflation.
The report notes that in 2020, total education system long-term
debt surpassed $500 billion in the U.S. Between 2002 and 2020,
long-term debt grew by $188 billion or $3,798 per student.
States have made promises that they have failed to fund, and
those promises are starting to catch up with them, so that is
where we see the huge increase in benefits spending, Smith
said.
Kevin Bessler reports on statewide issues in Illinois
for the Center Square. He has over 30 years of experience in radio
news reporting throughout the Midwest.
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