Did You Know? Back to School Fun Facts

Tuesday marks the first day of classes for the Redondo Beach Unified School District and as many kids in Redondo Beach head back to the classroom, here is a look at some fun facts surrounding the back to school season from the United States Census Bureau:

• $7.7 billion was spent at family clothing stores in August 2011. The only time spending on clothing was higher was during the November and December holiday shopping season.
• 79 million children and adults were enrolled in schools ranging from nursery school to college in October 2010. That figure represents 27 percent of the entire U.S. population.
• 27 percent of students between the ages of 12 and 17 were in a "gifted" class in 2009.
• 70 percent of students between the ages of 6 and 17 said they liked being in school, were interested in school and were working hard in school in 2009.
• 11.8 million school-aged children in 2010 spoke a language other than engligh at home. Of those, 8.5 million said they spoke Spanish at home.

For those Redondo Beach students who hope to go to college, statistics show there is a financial reward. The U.S. Census Bureau found that the median yearly income of an adult with at least a bachelor's degree was $56,000 compared to $33,000 for adults who only held a high school diploma.

Whether you are helping contribute to that $7.7 billon spent on clothing this month or have a child who is part of the 70 percent excited about school, let us know in the comments what you are doing to get your children ready for school this year.