This report presents comprehensive statistics on the organization, staff, pupils, and finances of the regular full-time public elementary and secondary day schools in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the outlying areas of the United States. Detailed data are given for the survey year 1961-62 as well as historical data for selected items of information--in some instances as far back as 1869-70. Also included in this report are actual or (estimated data on the number of full-time non-public regular day schools and on their enrollment and instructional staff. In addition, national (but not State) enrollment figures are given for the following types of schools: (a) Elementary and secondary departments of institutions of higher education, (b) federally operated schools on federal installations, (c) Federal schools for Indians, and (d) residential schools for exceptional children. A recapitulation of the types of schools that operate at the elementary and secondary levels, the size of the enrollments, and the information source for each type of school is given in table A. Excluded from the survey are data for private correspondence schools, commercial and trade schools, and private schools of art, music, and dancing, of less than college grade. Initial tables provide a historical summary of public school statistics; and data on school administrative units and state, local, and regional education agencies. Subsequent tables provide data on a state-by-state basis on the number of school systems, the school age population, enrollment, average daily attendance, high school graduates, instructional staff, and the school lunch program. Concluding tables present data on financing public elementary and secondary school systems, including revenue and nonrevenue receipts for public schools, total expenditures, current expenditures, capital outlays, interest on school debt, status of school bonds, value of school property, average annual salary of instructional staff, and expenditures per pupil. Beginning in 1959-60, Alaska and Hawaii are included in the totals for the United States and in the totals for the West-and-Southwest region, but the figures for these states are not included in the regional or national totals prior to 1959-60. In those tables which present historical biennial data by state, Alaska and Hawaii are shown in the West and Southwest region, but the figures for these States are not included in the regional or national totals prior to 1959-60. Data for this report were furnished by departments of education of states and outlying areas.