Schools

Back to School By the Numbers

It's back to school for Mokena kids. Here are some numbers you might not know about the back-to-school season.

It’s hard to believe, but it’s almost that time of year again.

As parents and their kids head out to gather up their books, backpacks and No. 2 pencils, we thought we’d share these back-to-school facts, courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau and other government agencies.

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Back-to-school shopping

$7.4 billion

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The amount of money spent at family clothing stores in August 2010.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services

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

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

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

Apples for Teacher

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

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

4,409

Number of degree-granting institutions of higher education in 2008-2009.
Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics

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

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 <http://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. The national average was $52,800.
Source: National Education Association and Educational Research Service as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011, Tables 252 and 255 

$60,500

Average annual salary of public school teachers in Illinois.
Source: National Education Association and Educational Research Service as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011, Tables 252

$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

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 21

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


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