Economy
Spending for School Districts

Maintaining


Spending of School Districts

What does this measure?

The annual per capita spending for public education in a county, adjusted for inflation.

Why is this important?

Free public education was long ago embraced as a cornerstone of a fair society. Schools must prepare the next generation to become productive members of society and compete in the global economy. Yet, the cost of public education has been rising more rapidly than many other goods and services and can become a burden to taxpayers, particularly those on fixed incomes or whose incomes are not keeping pace with tax increases.

How does our county compare?

Schools in Lancaster County spent $2,374 per resident in 2021, up 29% from $1,840 in 2001. Lancaster's spending per resident has been below the Pennsylvania average for each year since 2001.

Compared to neighboring counties, Lancaster spent more per resident than Cumberland and Lebanon in 2021, but less than Berks, Chester, Dauphin and York. At $4,000 and $3,389 Dauphin and Chester counties had the highest school spending per resident, while Cumberland (at $2,210) spent the least.

Notes about the data

Data are presented in constant 2021 dollars.

Spending of School Districts
200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021
Pennsylvania$2,020$2,094$2,150$2,242$2,286$2,345$2,384$2,412$2,479$2,525$2,532$2,462$2,515$2,528$2,655$2,706$2,851$2,763$2,831$2,875$2,829
Lancaster County$1,840$1,864$1,918$1,958$1,963$1,991$2,097$2,134$2,211$2,204$2,168$2,119$2,162$2,186$2,284$2,300$2,386$2,392$2,427$2,377$2,374
Berks County$2,208$2,238$2,298$2,369$2,468$2,541$2,680$2,667$2,796$2,892$2,843$2,852$2,922$2,825$3,101$3,002$3,156$3,094$3,161$3,157$3,072
Chester County$2,347$2,439$2,553$2,704$2,781$2,890$2,987$3,041$3,187$3,251$3,236$3,250$3,360$3,315$3,575$3,549$3,359$3,418$3,520$3,433$3,389
Cumberland County$1,682$1,703$1,720$1,762$1,813$1,855$1,947$2,050$1,947$1,942$2,027$1,877$1,968$1,934$2,029$2,095$2,126$2,114$2,098$2,116$2,210
Dauphin County$2,262$2,334$2,315$2,353$2,462$2,517$2,503$2,594$2,733$2,736$2,746$2,603$2,738$2,928$2,957$3,409$3,141$3,271$3,427$3,512$4,000
Lebanon County$1,816$1,897$1,873$1,917$1,965$1,995$2,104$2,203$2,222$2,299$2,147$2,128$2,239$2,239$2,234$2,320$2,388$2,451$2,424$2,362$2,364
York County$2,114$2,157$2,221$2,278$2,406$2,574$2,472$2,534$2,694$2,741$2,749$2,682$2,776$2,710$2,941$2,956$3,007$2,922$3,020$3,136$3,073

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education
Notes: Figures are in constant 2021 dollars.




Total Spending of School Districts
200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021
Pennsylvania$24,840,880,690$25,821,722,459$26,603,276,434$27,821,387,204$28,459,797,745$29,338,539,301$29,954,908,480$30,423,162,947$31,397,727,724$32,069,560,822$32,266,554,179$31,437,578,576$32,126,222,108$32,327,134,815$33,939,699,509$34,586,455,096$36,456,829,005$35,362,846,964$36,240,379,573$37,380,093,163$36,681,100,630
Lancaster County$874,921,970$894,824,208$930,469,752$959,614,850$970,940,356$997,470,023$1,062,282,020$1,092,277,840$1,142,139,794$1,144,828,519$1,135,811,408$1,116,427,014$1,145,780,015$1,165,627,827$1,223,597,276$1,238,028,029$1,291,554,217$1,301,161,273$1,324,597,452$1,314,196,368$1,314,391,614
Berks County$833,437,781$853,578,334$886,481,387$926,011,831$977,144,173$1,020,967,125$1,086,126,901$1,087,295,771$1,146,119,476$1,190,302,663$1,174,190,454$1,179,168,746$1,209,309,904$1,170,941,736$1,287,207,007$1,248,187,555$1,317,598,284$1,301,009,369$1,331,478,053$1,353,663,138$1,318,937,903
Chester County$1,035,273,065$1,092,312,439$1,162,034,009$1,251,913,335$1,308,379,148$1,384,649,418$1,452,078,625$1,494,432,747$1,581,916,478$1,622,805,606$1,629,180,567$1,644,557,999$1,710,603,229$1,700,043,510$1,841,504,545$1,834,074,260$1,743,118,270$1,784,697,006$1,848,013,626$1,834,405,703$1,825,365,778
Cumberland County$361,739,884$370,164,801$377,249,269$389,695,796$404,881,808$420,676,750$445,408,314$474,382,671$455,428,743$457,064,519$480,577,398$449,013,968$474,294,621$470,546,418$498,522,981$518,341,576$529,454,753$530,932,062$531,483,720$549,039,282$580,928,136
Dauphin County$571,031,306$593,665,353$591,799,650$602,946,978$634,482,964$655,247,171$658,640,444$688,526,537$729,895,653$733,485,509$739,404,047$702,868,049$743,072,440$796,971,301$807,443,785$934,751,001$866,039,460$905,560,749$953,737,993$1,005,818,410$1,149,724,385
Lebanon County$219,685,234$230,916,697$230,718,709$238,950,501$247,952,831$255,960,176$273,899,245$289,820,417$295,392,999$307,142,975$288,781,926$288,408,842$304,005,653$305,698,889$307,171,741$321,301,419$333,315,906$346,488,089$343,730,043$338,346,067$339,226,561
York County$815,596,271$840,504,406$877,409,221$914,288,930$984,411,480$1,076,005,200$1,050,202,120$1,088,057,539$1,166,745,192$1,192,262,856$1,200,554,126$1,173,231,091$1,218,456,113$1,193,820,842$1,299,344,895$1,311,508,799$1,339,773,557$1,308,805,174$1,356,159,412$1,431,439,494$1,409,539,601

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education
Notes: Figures are in constant 2021 dollars.




INDICATORS TREND
Prekindergarten Participation Increasing
Student Performance on Grade 3 English Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math Not Applicable
High School Cohort Graduation Rate Increasing
Per-Student Spending Maintaining
Students Receiving Special Education Services Increasing
Rate of Foster Care Admissions Maintaining
Disengaged Youth Maintaining
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Plans of High School Graduates Not Applicable
Enrollment in Local Colleges Decreasing
College Graduation Rates Decreasing
Brain Drain/Gain Increasing
Education Levels of Adults by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Average Charitable Giving Maintaining
Voter Registration Rate Not Applicable
Voter Participation Rate Increasing
Age of Housing Stock Not Applicable
Violent Crime Rate Maintaining
Incarceration Rate Decreasing
Incarceration Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Population Density Increasing
Air Quality Decreasing
Water Use Decreasing
Waterways Impaired by Pollution Not Applicable
Change in Population Increasing
Change in Population by Age and Gender Not Applicable
Population by Age Not Applicable
Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People with Disabilities Decreasing
Foreign-Born Population Increasing
Language Diversity Increasing
Change in Total Jobs Increasing
Change in Employment by Sector Not Applicable
Sector Share of Total Jobs Not Applicable
Workers by Occupation Not Applicable
Change in Labor Force Decreasing
People Entering/Leaving County/Region for Work Not Applicable
Average Salary by Sector Not Applicable
Change in Average Salary Since 2000 Increasing
Female to Male Earnings Ratio Maintaining
Employer Size Not Applicable
Change in Number of Businesses by Sector Increasing
Change in Total Agricultural Sales Increasing
Spending for Local Government Maintaining
Spending for School Districts Maintaining
Children Living in Poverty Maintaining
Children in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty Increasing
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Veterans Living in Poverty Maintaining
Working Poor Maintaining
Median Household Income by Household Type Not Applicable
Median Household Income Maintaining
Median Household Income, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Living Wage Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Households Receiving SNAP by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Household Receiving Temporary Assistance Increasing
Students Eligible for Free/Reduced Price Lunch Increasing
Median Home Value Maintaining
Occupied Housing Units Maintaining
Homeownership Rate, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Homeownership by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Rent Maintaining
Cost of Renting Increasing
Households Without Vehicles Decreasing
Means of Transportation to Work, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Without Health Insurance Increasing
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Health Status Decreasing
Prevalence of Mental Illness Maintaining
Adults Who are Overweight or Obese Not Applicable
Mortality Rates Decreasing
Mortality Rate, by Race/Ethnicity Increasing
Fatal Drug Overdoses Increasing
Cancer Incidence Decreasing
Households With Internet Access Not Applicable
High-Tech Jobs Increasing
STEM Graduates Maintaining
Science and Engineering Research and Development Maintaining
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Education Levels of Adults by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Incarceration Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Children in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Household Income, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Households Receiving SNAP by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Homeownership Rate, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Homeownership by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable


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