Provides data on school maintenance and operations (M & O) costs in the United States. Costs are expressed in dollars per student and per square foot. Data show school districts are spending more to maintain and operate their buildings, but M & O budgets are not rising by the same rate. (GR)

Presents 1997 maintenance and operations (M&O) cost summaries from a sampling of chief business officers at public school districts across the United States. Nationally, results show 9.59% of a school district's net current expenditure was appropriated for M&O in the 1996-1997 school year, up slightly from fiscal year 1995-1996. Costs are shown to…