Nickles and Dimes Of Public Education
By Sean McMurray
The United States has a long tradition of providing public schools to all of our children. Wise people decided a long time ago that public education benefited society as a whole–even those without any children. Thus, we tax everyone to pay for our public schools. Rich and poor, no children or a dozen children, everyone is taxed to provide a public good to our society. While some grumble and complain about the inequity of this scheme, most consider it a worthwhile tax burden. Even the poorest child should have no financial obstacles to receiving a basic education.
Of course, any parent of school children knows that school isn’t really free. Despite the taxes everyone pays to fund our public schools, there are plenty of nickel and dime school fees, perhaps a couple of hundred dollars per child. Most of us recognize that education does cost money, and we certainly appreciate that our school teachers are underpaid. So paying a few hundred dollars, or even a thousand dollars, each year for the education of our entire family doesn’t seem too onerous.
Then our schools hold assemblies where they bring in our 8 year old children and tell them that the schools are desperate for money. The school will have to close unless the children can raise enough money to save it. A slick spokesperson steps forward and explains to the children that if they can sell enough cookie dough or pizzas or whatever, they can save their school and win a yoyo. Our children feel the weight of the world as they strive to save the school. No school administrator should ever expose our children to this pressure.
We are all familiar with the never-ending fund-raisers for band trips to Disneyland, excursions for French class, and other extra-curricular activities. Nobody questions that these expenses should not be covered by the school, nor by the general public. Parents, grand-parents, neighbors, and friends generously contribute to these efforts. It is well understood that the “extra” in extra-curricular often implies extra costs as well. Booster clubs and others also step in to help pay for uniforms, equipment, and other expenses. I applaud them and recognize their hard work and contributions. Costs associated with core curriculum, however, are another matter.
There is currently an ongoing situation at the high school where some students’ parents have refused to pay additional fees associated with classes that are part of the normal curriculum. In at least one case a student was allowed to remain in the class and performed very well. But the student and the parents were surprised to see the student’s grade on their report card. Although the student had performed A-grade work throughout the school year, their official transcript bears an “F”. Apparently, the “F” stands for “Failure to pay.” It has been reported that the teacher went so far as to ridicule the student, explaining that they were too poor to pay the fee because their parents were too busy making more babies than they could afford.
I don’t think the real question is whether that particular student could afford to pay that specific fee. They have chosen instead to stand on principle. I, for one, support their stand. I hope that they continue to force the issue. I’m pretty sure that the law and our long-standing tradition is on their side. Please fight the fight for all those who can’t afford that class fee added to all the other class fees.
I don’t consider myself to be a socialist, or even very liberal. I think that our government is over-funded and over-involved in too much of our lives. I do believe, though, that the government should fully fund core curriculum for K-12 for all children. And I mean that it should fund it 100%. No extra gym locker fees for required P.E. classes. No extra fees for art or photography classes offered in the regular curriculum. No extra fees for Home Ec classes. No extra fees for books in Reading class. No extra fees for orchestra sheet music. Core curriculum needs to be open to all children, without financial barriers.
Having said that, I know that things will always be a little fuzzy. Who should pay for the calculator that the student is required to have in Geometry? Who should pay for the marching shoes that the student needs for a band class, when the student is required to march in extra-curricular events? What about the rental of the band instrument? I think, though, that their needs to be a clear rule: no child should be barred from core curriculum activities for financial reasons. And their grade should never reflect the amount of money they have or have not given to the school.
I do not doubt that there might be a severe funding crisis without the collection of all these fees. It may cause the schools to cut back on their activities, or it might require higher taxes to make up the shortfall. I dislike taxes as much as the next person, but I would happily pay $1000 more taxes to avoid $1000 in dozens of additional school fees. You may argue that the inefficiencies of government bureaucracies would siphon off some of that $1000 before it got to the schools. I ask you, how much of that $30 cookie dough price made it to the school coffers?
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