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 Back to School: 2011-2012 By August, summertime will be winding down and vacations will be coming to an end, signaling that back-to-school time is near. It's a time that many children eagerly anticipate — catching up with old friends and making new ones, and settling into a new daily routine. Parents and children alike scan the newspapers and websites looking for sales to shop for a multitude of school supplies and the latest clothing fads and essentials. This edition of *Facts for Features* highlights the many statistics associated with the return to classrooms by our nation's students and teachers. Back-to-School Shopping $7.4 billion The amount of money spent at family clothing stores in August 2010. Only in November and December were sales significantly higher. Similarly, sales at bookstores in August 2010 totaled $2.2 billion, an amount approached in 2010 only by sales in January. 
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services <https://www.census.gov/mrts/www/mrts.html> For back-to-school shopping, choices of retail establishments abound: In 2008, there were 28,429 family clothing stores, 7,349 children and infants clothing stores, 28,178 shoe stores, 9,373 office supply and stationery stores, 22,116 sporting goods stores, 9,708 bookstores and 8,813 department stores. 
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns: 2008 <https://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/> Students 77 million The number of children and adults enrolled in school throughout the country in October 2009 — from nursery school to college. They comprised 27 percent of the entire population age 3 and older.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, School Enrollment - Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2009, Table 1
<https://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/school/cps2009.html> Pre-K through 12 Enrollment 52% Percentage of 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled in school in October 2009.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, School Enrollment - Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2009, Table 1 
<https://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/school/cps2009.html> 74% Percentage of children 3 to 6 enrolled in kindergarten who attended all day, as of October 2009. 
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, School Enrollment - Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2009, Table 3
<https://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/school/cps2009.html> 55.5 million The projected number of students to be enrolled in the nation's elementary through high 
schools (pre-kindergarten - 12th grade) this fall. 
Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the *Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011*, Table 215 <https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/> 11% Projected percentage of elementary through high school students (pre-kindergarten - 12th grade) enrolled in private schools this fall. 
Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the *Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011*, Table 215 <https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/> 43% Percentage of elementary through high school students who belonged to a minority population as of October 2009. 
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, School Enrollment - Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2009, Table 1
<https://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/school/cps2009.html> 23% Percentage of elementary through high school students who had at least one foreign-born parent in October 2009. 
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, School Enrollment - Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2009, Table 1 <https://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/school/cps2009.html> Nearly 80% Percentage of students ages 12 to 17 who were academically on-track in 2006, up 8 percentage points from 1998. The odds of being on-track were 48 percent higher for these students if they were in a gifted class and 34 percent higher if they had never been suspended or expelled from school. (Students were considered to be academically on-track if they were enrolled in school at or above the grade level appropriate for their age.)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, A Child's Day: 2006 (Selected Indicators of Child Well-Being), Table 5 <https://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/children/cb09-182.html> 52% Percentage of 12- to 17-year-olds who were highly engaged in school (children reported as liking school, being interested in school and working hard in school) in 2006, up 5 percentage points from 1998. For 6- to 11-year-olds, the respective increase was from 56 percent to 59 percent.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, A Child's Day: 2006 (Selected Indicators of Child Well-Being); Table 3 <https://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/children/cb09-182.html> Languages 11.2 million Number of school-age children (5 to 17) who spoke a language other than English at home in 2009; 8 million of these children spoke Spanish at home. 
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey <http://factfinder2.census.gov/>, Table B16004 Lunchtime 31.3 million Average number of children participating each month in the National School Lunch Program in 2009. 
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, as cited in the *Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011*, Table 568 <https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/> 9.21 billion The nation's total apple production, in pounds, in 2010. The chances are good that the apples your children present to their teachers or enjoy for lunch were grown in Washington state, which accounted for more than half of the nation's total production. 
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service 
<http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/NoncFruiNu/NoncFruiNu-01-21-2011.pdf> College 19.7 million The projected number of students enrolled in the nation's colleges and universities this fall. This is up from 14.4 million 20 years ago.
Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the *Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011*, Table 215 <https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/> 16% Percentage of all college students 35 and older in October 2009. They made up 37 percent of those attending school part time. 
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, School Enrollment - Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2009, Table 5
<https://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/school/cps2009.html> 50% Percentage of 18- and 19-year-olds enrolled in college in 2009. 
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, School Enrollment - Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2009, Table 2
<https://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/school/cps2009.html> 56% Percentage of college students who were women in October 2009. 
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, School Enrollment - Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2009, Table 5
<https://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/school/cps2009.html> How Many Schools? 98,706 Number of public schools in 2008-09. In 2007-08, there were 33,740 private schools. 
Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics,
<http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d10/tables/dt10_005.asp> 4,409 Number of degree-granting institutions of higher education in 2008-2009.
Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics, <http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d10/tables/dt10_005.asp> 4,694 The number of public charter schools nationwide in 2008-09. These schools, exempt from selected state and local rules and regulations, enrolled 1,433,116 students. 
Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics, 
<http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/pdf/coe_cse.pdf> Teachers and Other School Personnel 7.2 million Number of teachers in the United States in 2009. Almost 3 million taught at the elementary and middle school level. The remainder included those teaching at the postsecondary, secondary, preschool, kindergarten levels, special education and other teachers or instructors.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as cited in the *Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011*, Table 615 <https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/> $65,800 Average annual salary of public school teachers in California as of the 2007-2008 school year — the highest of any state. Teachers in South Dakota received the lowest pay — $36,700. The national average was $52,800. High school principals earned $99,365 annually in 2008-09.
Source: National Education Association and Educational Research Service as cited in the *Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011*, Tables 252 and 255 <https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/> $16.44 Average hourly wage for the nation's school bus drivers in 2008-09. Custodians earned $14.59, while cafeteria workers made $11.94.
Source: Educational Research Service as cited in the *Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011*, Table 255 <https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/> Technology 14.2 million Number of computers available for classroom use in the nation's schools as of the 2005-2006 school year. That works out to one computer for every four students. 
Source: Market Data Retrieval as cited in the *Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010*, Table 259 <https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/> Rising Cost of College $15,876 Average tuition, room and board (for in-state students) at the nation's four-year public colleges and universities for an academic year (2008-09). That was more than double the cost in 1990.
Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the *Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011*, Table 289 <https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/> $40,633 Average tuition, room and board at the nation's four-year private colleges and universities for one academic year (2008-09). That also was more than double the cost in 1990. 
Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the *Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011*, Table 289 <https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/> Rewards of Staying in School $83,144 Average annual 2008 earnings of workers 18 and older with an advanced degree. This compares with $21,023 for those without a high school diploma. In addition, those with a bachelor's degree earned an average of $58,613 in 2008, while those with a high school diploma earned $31,283. 
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Educational Attainment in the United States: 2009 <https://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/education/cb10-55.html> $85,417 Average starting salary offered to bachelor's degree candidates in petroleum engineering in 2009, among the highest of any field of study. At the other end of the spectrum were those majoring in a social science, who were offered an average of $36,217.
Source: National Association of Colleges and Employers as cited in the *Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011*, Table 294 <https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/> Graduation 3.2 million Projected number of high school diplomas that will be awarded in the 2011-12 school year.
Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the *Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010*, Table 217 <https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/> 3.4 million Number of college degrees expected to be conferred in the 2011-12 school year.
Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the *Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010*, Table 217 <https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/> Government Spending on Public Education $10,499 The per-pupil expenditure on public elementary and secondary education nationally in 2009. New York ($18,126) spent the most among states or state equivalents, followed by the District of Columbia ($16,408), New Jersey ($16,271) and Alaska ($15,552). Utah ($6,356) spent the least per student, followed by Idaho ($7,092) and Arizona ($7,813).             
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Public Education Finances: 2009
<https://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/governments/cb11-94.html> Parental Involvement 89% Among K-12 students, the percentage with a parent or other household member who attended a general school or PTO/PTA meeting during the 2006-07 school year. Additionally, 65 percent had such a relative who participated in school fundraising and 46 percent who volunteered to serve on a school committee.
Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the *Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011*, Table 248 <https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/> Following is a list of observances typically covered by the Census Bureau’s *Facts for Features* series: African-American History Month (February)
  Super Bowl
  Valentine's Day (Feb. 14)
  Women's History Month (March)
  Irish-American Heritage Month (March)/
             St. Patrick's Day (March 17)
  Earth Day (April 22)
  Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (May)
  Older Americans Month (May)
  Cinco de Mayo (May 5)
  Mother's Day
  Hurricane Season Begins (June 1)
  Father's Day The Fourth of July (July 4)
  Anniversary of Americans With Disabilities Act (July 26)
  Back to School (August)
  Labor Day
  Grandparents Day
  Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15)
  Unmarried and Single Americans Week
  Halloween (Oct. 31)
  American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month (November)
  Veterans Day (Nov. 11)
  Thanksgiving Day
  The Holiday Season (December)
  **Editor’s note:** The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; fax: 301-763-3762; or e-mail: <PIO@census.gov>.
 
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