Educational Spending

When I was a kid, the amount of dollars spent per child for education was nearly half what it is right now. What happened?

The official government report can be read here.

I would love to see side-by-side budgets from a single school from 1979 and 2009 to see what the cost differences are. Benefits must be much, much more expensive. Technology costs, of course, were nearly non-existent in 1979. (I personally see no "need" for technology in the lower grades at all, other than computer and internet access for teachers.) Taxes also pay for a lot more full-day kindergartens (which I also think is in the best interest of working parents, but not necessarily in the best interest of 5-year-old children). Where else is all this money going? And why are the schools continually in financial crisis, given they have nearly twice as much money as 30 years ago? It reminds me of families that, no matter how much they make, it's still not quite enough to pay for their expenses.

If any wants to counterpoint my comments, I really do welcome it!!