Pupils on a school benc
It's back to school time and when you think about the sheer numbers of K-12 students in the US, these kids will need quite a few school benches, school picnic tables, bleachers and bike racks.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in the fall of 2015, there were 50.1 million students sitting in public elementary and secondary schools. That doesn't even count all the private schools out there. For non-public schools, estimates run as high as five million more pupils.
The public school numbers break down to 35 million in pre-K through eighth grade. Another 15 million are in grades 9 through 12.
To manage that nation of students, you need an army of teachers. The center reports there are 3.1 million full-time teachers. That works out to a student/teacher ratio of 16:1. For private schools, the ratio is lower at 12.5:1.
School benc
In 2012-2103 there were approximately 98,500 public schools which includes 6,100 charter schools. In the fall of 2011, it is estimated there were 30,900 private schools offering kindergarten classes and up.
For ALL the items those students need: books, buildings, buses, faculty, janitors, etc., the price tag for education from K-12 is projected to be $634 billion. That breaks down to $12,605 per student.
One very bright note, the number of students who drop out of high school has dropped from 10.9% in 2000 to 6.8% in 2003. Even better, in the fall of 2015, there were some 20.2 million students who enrolled in universities and colleges. That's a jump of 4.9 million from the same time in 2000.
Speaking of schools and budgets, the cost gets flipped around when students have to pay for all those amenities. In 2013-2014, the average annual price for an undergraduate attending college with tuition, fees, room and board was $15,640. If that student chose to attend a private college, the average cost was $40,614 for non-profit schools and $23,135 with for-profit institutions.
Those costs are justified when you consider how much those college students earn after graduation. In 2013 a full-time young adult with a bachelor's degree made $48,500 in median earnings. For a person who finished high school, the average pay was $30,000 a year. Those who went for their master's degrees or higher were averaging $59,000 in annual salary.
As you can see, education is BIG business in America and one of the great attributes of this country.
School picnic tabl
The question for school facility managers that we ask at The Park and Facilities Catalog is: when all these students go outside, where are they going to sit?
The Park Catalog has the solution.
Here is a list of our most popular school outdoor site furnishings that are best suited for schools. What's beneficial about these products is that they are made to withstand heavy use and abuse from all those school kids who will spill, scratch or try their best to wreck these products.
That's why it is smart to use site furnishings made with heavy-duty thermoplastic coatings that are virtually maintenance-free and won't chip, fade or stain.
Recycled plastic is another material that is resistant to dirt or fading and also makes a pro-environmental statement that is important today as more and more public facilities are involved in sustainability programs.
School benches and other popular school furnishings
Check over this list of necesssary school outdoor furnishings:
Picnic Tables - advances in manufacturing have now created super easy-to-clean perforated thermoplastic-coated or recycled plastic
School Benches - ditto for benches, there are products now that are easy-to-clean perforated thermoplastic-coated or recycled plastic
Buddy Benches - these benches are more popular than ever! Every kindergarten and elementary school should have a "buddy" bench to help kids socialize better in the playground and during recess.
Aluminum School Bleachers - these are available in all sizes, from 3-row bleachers to 15-row bleachers, portable and Tip-N-Roll.
ADA furnishings - we offer a full line of ADA-compliant outdoor school furnishings in every category. You must have a few of these available for students with disabilities.
Every campus also needs these other products:
School Bike Racks - from U-racks that can hold two bikes to 15-bike sturdy wave racks. The more kids who bike, the less traffic at school.
Trash Receptacles - the more trash cans you provide, the less litter on the grounds
School Lockers - all types in different colors, pre-assembled or shipped flat
Recycling Receptacles- more and more facilities are providing recycling receptacles to promote sustainability as well.
As you can imagine, as the 2015-2016 school years winds down, everybody is getting ready for next fall. So if you need school park benches, school bleachers or school bike racks, it's best to order NOW. You can see ALL the schools that will be ordering these products.
The Park Catalog has many items in stock. With our quick ship program, we can literally ship many items in just 1-3 days.
Don't wait. Replace those old and worn school site furnishings or add new school benches to your campus. Just like the tide comes in every day, so will that giant swarm of millions of students once summer ends.