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Estimated Net Worth
$67.4B
classsolidarity.org audit
5% Tax Revenue
$3.37B
$3,370M available
What $3,370M could fund for public schools — for 1 year
All 6 billionaires combined
$6.90B
A 5% wealth tax on Yass, Griffin, Rowan, Uihlein, McMahon, and Lonsdale combined would generate $6.90 billion annually — enough for 148,304 first-year teachers.
Equivalent to
148,304
first-year teachers
first-year teachers
Methodology & Sources
All unit costs are national averages drawn from government data, peer-reviewed research, and industry sources. Figures represent what a single unit costs to fund for one school year, unless otherwise noted. Dollar amounts are rounded to the nearest whole number for display.
| Resource | Unit Cost | Rationale & Source |
|---|---|---|
| 🍎 First-Year Teacher Salary | $46,526 | National average beginning teacher salary for FY2023–24, per the National Education Association (NEA) 2025 Teacher Salary Benchmark Report. This represents the largest year-over-year increase (+4.4%) in 15 years of NEA tracking, though real inflation-adjusted salaries remain below 2008–09 levels. NEA 2025 Educator Pay & Student Spending Report · nea.org ↗ |
| 🏫 Afterschool Program | $100,000 | Annual operating cost for a full school-based afterschool program serving approximately 65 students. The Afterschool Alliance estimates ~$1,500 per child per year for a high-quality program; at 65 students that yields ~$97,500, rounded to $100,000. The Wallace Foundation's landmark OST cost study documented $7/hr per slot on average across six major cities. Program costs include staff salaries (the primary driver), materials, snacks, and overhead. Afterschool Alliance FAQ · afterschoolalliance.org ↗ · Wallace Foundation, "The Cost of Quality Out-of-School-Time Programs" (updated 2021) · wallacefoundation.org ↗ |
| 💻 Computer Lab | $25,000 | Fully equipped 30-device lab including devices, networking, furniture, charging cart, and basic software licensing. Per EdWeek reporting on the U.S. PIRG Education Fund's Chromebook Churn study, school districts pay approximately $300 per Chromebook at bulk pricing (cited range: $200–$400/device). A 30-device lab works out to $9,000 for devices + ~$3–5K furniture + ~$3K networking and wiring + ~$2K charging cart + software and peripherals, totaling roughly $20K–$30K. $25,000 is a mid-range estimate for a basic lab; advanced configurations with higher-end devices can exceed $50,000. U.S. PIRG Education Fund, "Chromebook Churn" (2023) · pirg.org ↗ · Education Week, "Chromebooks' Short Lifespan Costs Schools Billions" · edweek.org ↗ |
| 🎺 Marching Band Uniform Set | $50,000 | Full uniform set for a 100-student high school marching band, including jacket, trousers, shako hat, plume, gloves, gauntlets, and shoes. Per-uniform cost typically runs $300–$600 ($1,000+ for premium custom designs), per industry manufacturer Fruhauf's Buyer's Guide, with bulk-order discounts at 30-49 and 50+ unit thresholds. Multiple public school band booster organizations report similar numbers: Kearney (TN) High School values each uniform at "over $500"; Owasso Marching Band boosters cite "approximately $500 per marcher." At $500 × 100 students, a full set = $50,000. North Olmsted City Schools (OH) documented raising approximately $67,500 for a full uniform replacement in a recent cycle. Fruhauf Uniforms, "Buyer's Guide to Band Uniforms" · fruhauf.com ↗ · North Olmsted Instrumental Music Boosters (NOBOB) Uniform FAQ · eaglemusic.org ↗ |
| 🎨 School Arts Program | $40,000 | Annual arts program budget for a single public school. Benchmarked against California's Proposition 28 (Arts and Music in Schools Funding Guarantee), which allocates ~$1 billion/year across California's 5.85M K-12 students — averaging ~$160 per student, or roughly $32K for a 200-student school, $48K for a 300-student school, and $72K for a 450-student elementary school. The School District of Philadelphia separately allocates a minimum of $50,000 per year to every school with 300 or fewer students for arts programming. $40,000 is a conservative midpoint for a functional single-school program covering a part-time arts teacher, supplies, and partnerships. California Department of Education, Prop 28 Arts and Music in Schools allocations · cde.ca.gov ↗ · Americans for the Arts, "Art education programs slowly rebuild" (Philadelphia Schools) · americansforthearts.org ↗ |
| 🤝 Paraprofessional / Behavioral Aide | $40,000 | Loaded annual cost (salary + benefits) for a school-based paraprofessional or special education aide. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $35,240 for Teacher Assistants (which includes special-education paraprofessionals) as of May 2024. NEA's 2025 ESP Earnings Report puts the K-12 Education Support Professional average at $34,954 (2023-24). Employer-side benefits and payroll taxes typically add 25-30% to base salary, bringing the true cost to a district to approximately $40,000 per position. This is still a conservative estimate — special-education paras in urban or collective-bargaining districts frequently earn more. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Teacher Assistants (May 2024) · bls.gov ↗ · NEA 2025 ESP Earnings Report · nea.org ↗ |
Net worth figures are drawn from classsolidarity.org wealth audits of the six billionaires identified as leading the movement to privatize public education: Jeff Yass, Ken Griffin, Marc Rowan, Richard & Elizabeth Uihlein, Linda McMahon, and Joe Lonsdale. Combined net worth totals $138.0B; a 5% tax would generate $6.90B. Budget comparisons use the ICE FY2026 House Appropriations bill ($11B annual). Iran war costs use Pentagon figures briefed to Congress ($11.3B through day 6), Al Jazeera's synthesis of Brown University's Costs of War project ($31.3–$33.8B total US spending since Oct. 2023 on Israel military aid plus Yemen/Iran/Middle East operations), and Harvard Kennedy School economist Linda Bilmes's estimate of ~$2B/day during live conflict. All figures are estimates and subject to revision as new data becomes available.