About 14,000 US public school districts with about 99,000 schools provide education for 55 million K-12 students and have a combined annual budget of $585 billion. School districts vary greatly in size. The 100 largest school districts serve about 20 percent of all students.
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 15:1. 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, districts may operate magnet schools, each with a special focus and curriculum that draw interested students, ...
