In 2020/2021, total expenditures for elementary and secondary public and private schools increased by 6.1% from 2019/2020 to $85.6 billion. Compared with the previous five years, this increase was well above average, as spending increased to support schools at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of this spending (95.3%, or $81.5 billion) was directed to public education.