Public School Should be Free!
California public schools are not meeting the needs of their students and teachers as the gaps in funding require schools to seek out money from parents and nonprofit organizations. As things always go, more affluent communities are more able to provide additional funding for their school districts—further exacerbating the learning gap. For example, at Roy Cloud Elementary, near Redwood City, parents are asked to pay $750 to support science and music programs, meanwhile parents at El Cerrito High are asked to pay what they can, scraping for money anywhere they can.
The lack of funds is common in schools throughout the state and is apparent in low income communities. Efforts have been made to relieve the disparities in schools throughout the state by giving more money for less fortunate schools, which still isn’t enough for our schools. We need more sustainable funding for our schools! Why is it the responsibility of parents to pay for programs at their children’s school when they have already paid their share? Maybe it’s time corporations pay what THEY owe.
Scotts Valley High School’s head coach for Cross Country Todd Hoffman on the school’s dirt track on Sept. 7, 2023, in Scotts Valley, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
The hidden pricetag of California’s public schools
Elissa Miolene, The Mercury News | September 17, 2023