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 have leveled off for the past five years. (GR)