And yet the school funding per pupil in the US is second only to Switzerland in the OECD countries. Almost double the OECD average.
Source PDF:
http://www.oecd.org/education/skills-beyond-school/48630868.pdf
From what I glean from that thing, For one that's back in 2008. Also, it says that while more students are going to school we are still spending the same amount of money. So, more students taking a bite of that pie equals less pie for everyone.
So yes we may spend more money than other countries we also have a whole lot more people than smaller countries spending that limited amount of cash.
Personally, it's evident just from seeing my boy go to school and not have any text books to bring home.
When I was in school we each had our own books per class. My boy doesn't. Books are kept in class to be shared.
Students are also expected to donate to classroom supplies. When I went to school it was generally just Kleenex. Now it's donating pencils and folders and paper and kleenex etc.
Then as per the topic you look at the cheap garbage they serve for lunches. Especially, compared to what I had when I was a student.
It's sad really, if I had the means I would either home school my kid or send him to private school.
But I'm not privileged like that. Instead he has to share a math book because the school can't afford more copies.