National Debt Size Leaves High School Seniors in Disbelief and Anger
In the heart of Los Angeles, Glenn Sacks, a social studies teacher at James Monroe High School, is using a debt clock and a photo of his granddaughter to illustrate a pressing issue: the national debt. As of mid-2025, the current national debt of the United States stands at approximately $37 trillion, a figure that has been on a steady rise.
Sacks, who also represents United Teachers Los Angeles and served as a strike captain in both the 2019 and 2023 teacher strikes, is not alone in his concern. The national debt is a topic that resonates deeply with many high school students, particularly in relation to the burden of student loan debt. However, many are unaware of the national debt they are inheriting.
The debt-to-GDP ratio has climbed dramatically to over 123%, signaling that the national debt now exceeds the entire annual economic output of the country. Key contributors to this debt are large entitlement programs like Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security, as well as interest payments on the debt, which in 2025 have surpassed major spending categories such as defense.
The national debt per U.S. citizen is estimated to be around $108,010, while the debt per taxpayer is a staggering $323,051. The interest on the national debt is currently over a trillion dollars a year. These numbers underscore a significant fiscal challenge for the U.S. government in managing its debt and associated interest costs moving forward.
In July of 2020, debt service was $386 billion a year with a national debt of $26 trillion. Comparatively, the cost of building hospitals, schools, bridges, bombers, and bullets could be covered multiple times over, yet the national debt is often considered worthless to the taxpayer.
One student in Sacks' class, reflecting on the national debt in 2009, noted that it was only $10 trillion back then. However, the debt has more than tripled since then. The students have suggested solutions such as printing more money, an idea that could potentially lead to hyperinflation, as exemplified by the story of a German woman in 1923 filling a wheelbarrow with worthless Deutsche Mark bills.
As the Senate debates a Trump-backed bill, the national debt remains a pressing issue. Sacks tells his students that they will be the ones paying the national debt. It is a reminder that the decisions made today will have far-reaching implications for the future.
[1] The Balance, U.S. National Debt: History, Current Levels, and Consequences, retrieved from https://www.thebalance.com/us-national-debt-history-current-levels-consequences-4165383 [2] U.S. Department of the Treasury, Monthly Treasury Statement, retrieved from https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/Monthly-Treasury-Statement.aspx [4] Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, The U.S. National Debt: A Primer, retrieved from https://crfb.org/the-us-debt-a-primer
- Glenn Sacks, a teacher and union representative, uses a debt clock and a photo of his granddaughter to stress the importance of the national debt to his students, noting that the current debt of approximately $37 trillion has been rising steadily.
- The national debt per U.S. citizen is estimated to be around $108,010, while the debt per taxpayer is a staggering $323,051, with interest on the national debt currently over a trillion dollars a year.
- In their discussions of the national debt, Sacks' students have suggested solutions like printing more money, which could lead to potential consequences such as hyperinflation, akin to the example of a German woman filling a wheelbarrow with worthless Deutsche Mark bills in 1923.
- As the Senate debates a Trump-backed bill, the national debt remains a pressing issue, and Sacks reminds his students that they will be the ones who will have to face the consequences of the decisions made today.
