I don’t know the precise figure for what the target per-pupil cost should be for public education, but I know what it isn’t: $17,800.  Yet that is what is costs in New Jersey today.  See New Jersey per-pupil cost is $17,800 « Wintery Knight.

Think about the average wage in America and how unsustainable that per-pupil cost is.  That is equal to the gross annual wages of a $9 / hour job.  Of course, that person would have to pay taxes, buy groceries, food, transportation, housing, etc. for themselves and the child, so the wages required to fund basic living costs and the student’s education would be much higher.

Something is horribly wrong when costs are that high.  Getting rid of teachers’ unions and dramatically cutting back administration costs would be a start.  Get the Feds out of education completely and you could significantly reduce education costs.

And of course, promote school choice.  You could give incentives to attend private school or home school and save many millions.  Or benchmark the private schools and see what they are doing right.

Compare that with the average tuition with higher-performing private or parochial schools.

Excerpt:

AVERAGE PRIVATE SCHOOL TUITION: $8,549

Elementary: $6,733

Secondary: $10,549

Combined: $10,045

(Digest 2009, Chapter 2, Table 59)

AVERAGE CATHOLIC SCHOOL TUITION: $6,018

Elementary: $4,944

Secondary: $7,826

Combined: $9,066

(Digest 2009, Chapter 2, Table 59)

I’m updating this with a comment from Glenn, which is dead on.

If you want to educate the youth, it doesn’t cost much. If you want to indoctrinate them in liberal ideology, it cost’s big money. That’s the difference between private schools and government schools.