Depression Era times for Education

By Kimberley Beatty

We are a top quality school district because of our outstanding teachers and support staff, extensive parent volunteerism and high-achieving students.

We are a top quality school district because of our outstanding teachers and support staff, extensive parent volunteerism and high-achieving students. Test scores rank among the top in the state but the quality of our education has been eroded by nonstop budget cuts since 2003. Programs such as art, music, drama and PE now exist, if at all, only because of parent funding. Supplemental fees are required in order to participate in band, orchestra, sports, fieldtrips and bus transportation. This requires extensive fundraisers and large out-of-pocket expenses to pay for basic school activities. School site educational foundations that originally were set up to pay for classroom technology are now having to purchase core curriculum material in science and other subjects. Parents are photocopying daily lesson plans, providing workroom and classroom support and even helping teachers clean classrooms. Gone are school librarians, counselors, nurses, vice principals, resource specialists and supplemental programs to help struggling students. K-3 class size reduction (CSR) will probably be eliminated, along with school buses. High school classrooms are being measured for maximum capacity. These are Depression Era times for education and there has never been a more urgent need for an overhaul in education financing.