Staffing patterns in American public-school systems are presented in this report of the 2000-01 school year. The report addresses the following: why information about staffing ratios is important; how many people currently work in public schools; what proportion of these are teachers, administrators, and support staff; current staffing patterns in public-school systems; how staffing patterns vary by district enrollment size and per-pupil expenditure levels; and how staffing patterns changed between the years 1990 and 2000. Data in the report are presented in tables, graphs, charts, and text. Key findings include the following. Across the nation, the number of students per classroom teacher in public schools has been declining since 1995. In fall 2000, there were 17.7 students per classroom teacher. Large school districts, those with enrollments of more than 25,000 students, continue to experience higher student-teacher ratios than small school districts. In the 2000-01 school year, there were 20.5 students to every full-time classroom teacher in large school districts. Overall, teachers are the largest group of staff employed in American public-school systems, composing about 52 percent of all employees in the 2000-01 academic year. Central-office professionals composed about 1 percent of district employees in the 2000-01 academic year. (WFA)