Fees for the priciest public high schools in America?

Hey everyone, I've been hearing a lot about how wild the costs for some public high schools can be. Anyone have solid info on the most expensive public high schools in the U.S.? Any detail on what makes them so costly would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Hi there, it's quite an interesting question! While public high schools in America are generally funded by taxpayers and supposed to be free for students, some do come with varying forms of indirect costs that can be substantial.

The cost you are hearing about might be the total per-student expenditure, which includes teacher’s salaries, classroom supplies, athletic programs, buildings maintenance, etc. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, New York has the highest spending per student among all the states. In particular, the Scarsdale Union Free School District in Scarsdale, NY, has some of the highest per-student spending in the country.

Also, in some schools, parents might have to pay different types of fees and charges. These can include meal fees, field trip expenses, supplies for certain classes, technology fees (for using iPads or computers), and costs for participating in sports or other extracurricular activities. Some affluent areas may also have schools with parent-funded foundations that can request hefty donations to help financially support the schools and their programming beyond what's covered by state funds.

Do note that aspiration to provide high-quality education is often the factor driving these costs. Investments in state-of-the-art equipments, infrastructure, top-notch teaching staff, ample resources for extracurricular activities, etc. are all contributing factors.

However, the most expensive public high schools in terms of total cost per student to the state aren't necessarily the ones with the highest out-of-pocket costs to parents. Because of this, when we talk about "expensive" schools, we typically refer to colleges and private high schools that charge tuition.

Nevertheless, always remember that it isn't cost alone that determines the quality of the education you receive. There are numerous excellent and affordable public high schools across the country as well. I hope this helps clarify things for you!