The average annual inflation-adjusted spending per public school K-12 student has risen from $3,716 in 1960 to $13,847 in 2016, or by 3.7 times. These figures don't include state government spending on administration, the unfunded liabilities of pensions for government employees, and the costs of post-employment non-pension benefits (like health insurance). Scientific surveys conducted by Just Facts and Education Next / Harvard University show that Americans significantly underestimate the current level of public school spending.