School to Start Soon: The Numbers

As and View schools to a new school year, about 55.5 million students are projected to be enrolled in the nation's elementary through high schools this fall, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

About 11 percent of those students will attend a private school, and about 19.7 million students nationwide will attend a college or university this fall.

That means the soon will begin.

About $7.4 billion was spent at family clothing stores nationwide last year in August, while about $2.2 billion was spent at book stores last year, according to the bureau.

For students adding an apple for the teacher to their shopping list, about 9.21 billion pounds of apples were produced last year—more than half came from Washington state, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Public school teachers in California were the highest earning in their field the last time the Census Bureau calculated in 2008, with a $65,800 average annual salary.

Bus drivers across the country in 2009 earned an average hourly wage of $16.44; custodians earned $14.59; and cafeteria workers made $11.94, according to the bureau.

By the end of the upcoming school year, about 3.2 million high school students are projected to earn diplomas and 3.4 million college students are projected to earn degrees nationwide.

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