Public Schools K-12 Industry Profile

About 14,000 US public school districts with approximately 90,000 schools provide education for 50 million K-12 students and have a combined annual budget of $565 billion. School districts vary greatly in size. The 100 largest school districts serve nearly 25 percent of all students.

Private schools, colleges and universities, and education and training services are covered in separate industry profiles.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is driven by population demographics. The success of individual schools depends on funding, the ability to attract effective teachers, and student performance; parental support can be a contributing factor. Schools in affluent communities may receive more local funding support and be able to offer a wider range of instruction.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Public schools provide education in basic subjects through a curriculum that is relatively similar in all schools. Students are usually grouped by age. The average public school has about 500 students, but elementary schools are smaller (470 students) and secondary schools (middle and high schools) are larger (800 students). The average student/teacher ratio is 16:1. The high school graduation rate for public school students is almost 75 percent.

In addition to regular school programs, school districts might run vocational, special education, bilingual education, or pre- and after-school programs. Districts are responsible for providing transportation for both regular and disabled students. Some districts operate their own school bus systems, and some large urban districts have a school police force. In addition to regular schools, ...