Back to school: Facts and figures

By the numbers

SCHOOL ENROLLMENT

• This fall, more than 540,000 children are projected to return to Utah public schools, State Office of Education data show.

• Schools needed 14,500 additional desks to accommodate them all.

• The 2.8 percent enrollment increase from fall 2006 isn't as big as the jump seen the year before.

• In fall 2006, an additional 15,700 students enrolled in public schools, for a total of 525,700 students.

• Enrollment is expected to rise between 13,000 and 17,000 students a year through 2016.

• Enrollment is projected to hit 681,500 in 2016. That's 100,000 more students than the state enrolled in 2002.

Back to school shopping

SECOND ONLY TO THE HOLIDAYS

• $7.1 billion: August 2006 family clothing store sales

• $2.1 billion: August 2006 bookstore sales

• 24,659: number of family clothing stores nationwide in 2005

• 11,077: number of bookstores nationwide in 2005

By the numbers

BACK TO SCHOOL STATS

• 55.8 million students returning to school nationwide this fall

• 540,189: projected number of Utah public school students this fall

• 89% will attend public school

• 30.1 million eat school lunch

• 1.1 million home-schooled (2003)

• 70% of U.S. children enrolled in all-day kindergarten (October 2005)

• 54% of American children enrolled in preschool (October 2005)

• 18 million college students nationwide

• 37% college students over age 25 (October 2005)