Anybody out there with kids have their “public” schools telling them they need to pay money to them to keep some programs going?

Got a letter from my daughter’s school:

Dear Parent/Guardian;

I am writing to clarify the issue of activity fees for ----------- students. Based on recent phone calls and School Board discussions, I realize that there is some confusion as to the payment of the fees and what they cover.

The fee schedules for the schools were developed so that activities would still be available to our students. The dollar amount of the fees was established based on the amount of money cut from this year’s budget. Some of the activities that are included in this at all levels are field trips, assemblies, the yearbook, student council, after school clubs, class advisors, music performances, and winter carnival at the high school. In the middle school, dances are included in the activity fee. High school dances are put on as fundraisers for various groups (Jr. or Sr. class for example) and therefore are not included in the activity fee.

In calculating the fees, it was expected that all --------------- students would pay the fee, regardless if they participated in a particular activity or not. It was not presented or designed to be optional. Payment of the student activity fees by all ------------ students is the only way to assure that activities can continue.

The fee schedule is as follows: $15.00 per student middle school
$50.00 per student high school

At this point, it is imperative that fees be paid before October 17, 2003 so that activities and schedules can be set for the year. Failure to pay the fees will result in cancellation of many activities.

Thank you for your cooperation and support of our kids.

I have to tell you when I first read it, the first paragraph really stood out there is some confusion as to the payment of the fees and what they cover. Well I would guess so since this is the FIRST I have heard about it. That is like NOT having a subscription to a local newspaper, and nobody ever deliverers it and then someone knocks on your door asking for payment. Guy trying to collect payment ”Sir, you looked confused as to why I am here” DOOH

Just wondering what some of you think and what your input is on it. I was going to wait and tell you my thoughts later but I don’t want someone to come along and say I based my opinion on others input so I’ll go ahead and tell you now…

First, I am proud to report my daughter is doing very well in school, and is learning excellent values from her dear ol’ Dad.

First words from her young, educated mouth where:

Dad, I don’t know what this is about, but looks like someone couldn’t figure out how to balance a budget and now wants the parents to pay for social programs…

Sophomore in High School, so damn proud of her, she gets it…

Anyway, after my first reading it is a great lesson in the liberal way of getting things done right down to their famous terminology, the pulling of the heart string and supporting our kids always about the kids. It implies that those who do not wish to pay the money will in fact NOT be supporting the kids.

Well, actually those who refuse to pay will not be supporting how the school district goes about setting its budget and how THEY did not meet the needs of the kids. You see for the past 2 years few people around this area have received any pay raises, me included, due to the economy. That’s not a problem because we all know what has happen. However, the teachers did indeed receive a pay raise this year and last.

Now I am all for teachers being well paid, however if times are slow and most others are having to go forego a raise and STILL make ends meet then so do the teachers. Now they find themselves in a bind, gave up some cash to teachers and now want others to fund it, in the name of the children. Liberals at their finest.

Anyway this parent isn’t paying a dime of it. I have already paid $300 for sports for my daughter (after school activity), $80 for the yearbook, $200 for busing the children to school, and come this spring approx. $700 for drivers education.

So any inputs?

 

a driving age child? I didn't realize that you were *ahem* in your *ahem* late 30's.


I see it as you do. How much do you pay in taxes and still they want more. Have you ever done the math?

Add up all of the taxes going to the school board through property taxes. Add in State/Provincial transfers and then add in gifts from private institutions.

Now start subtracting.

teacher salaries.
support staff salaries
building/maintenance costs
book costs
other misc overhead \

and see that generally there should be money left over.


Here are some ideas. Large buyers have clout. When an author wants to sell a math text to the school board they should negotiate. The board will end up using this text for many years and buy replacements year after year.

NEGOTIATE PEOPLE! Tell the publisher no f**k you we are only paying $25 per book, not $50. Take that price or we buy from another author/publisher.

You see where this is going?

These pinhead administrators make more than you or I and yet they are not accountable for their fiscal mismanagement.

 

2 more years bud and the real payments start happening. The senior year is the most expensive. I think that is bs about paying to participate. I wouldn't pay it. You know that everyone can't come up with that kinda money at school and they can't descriminate because of a financial cituation. If they do I'd say take em to court.

 

There is nothing they can do about it anyway. Since it's a public school they HAVE to let her attend regardless if the $50 is paid to them...

Anyway, I have always paid for her activities, as I see that as fair, if she plays she pays, if she don't play then I ain't paying a penny...

 

J-150...

 

They have the same thing here. $35 for high school.

One other thing, my niece is a teacher in the Barrington School system up there in NH. Here is something ironic. NH is no where near the top in state teacher pay however, they are required to have their Masters to teach grade school. My jaw dropped when I learned that. I told her, "Honey, take that sheepskin and go make some real cash." but, she is dedicated to the kids.

 

We got the same thing here. The newspaper reported that it is illegal to ask for, no, REQUIRE students pay fees for a public education. The schools came back with it isn't required, it is only an activity fee ($35) and that the student will not be able to participate in any reindeer games, I mean school activities if they don't pay. I will have to find my copy, but it does NOT say anything about being optional. It says you must pay this upon registration!
Well just to make sure my $35 won't got to the lawyer who carefully crafted this gem, I will not be paying it. Not only that, I saw to it they would lose enough from me, to make up for about 228 of the parents that do pay the $35!
I enrolled my son for $600 a year in a home school program, so the public schools are already out about 8 grand by him not attending.

Who gets the last laugh? I do!

 

Where do they keep him while teaching?

 

You wanna talk rip off. I had to pay $75 dollars for my diploma from high school.

 

Oh One.... what a topic. For pay public schools.

Above all, remember you don't have to pay, they can't do anything but work on your sensitivities, try to make you feel bad about your decision.
Before I'd pay any money, I'd go to a school board meeting and ask how many retreats the school board is scheduling for the coming year and what the cost is. I'd ask how many conferences the Curriculum coordinators and Program Directors are scheduling and what will be the cost associated with those conferences. These are all perks the Central Staff get during the year. We used to take an administrative retreat that cost the system 75 or 80,000 dollars each summer. The retreat was billed as team building, and instructional/curriculum updating. It could easily be done in town, but we always went to a mountain resort so we could spend the afternoons playing golf or sightseeing. The annual National School Board meeting was in San Francisco last year. Eight school board members, their wives and husbands, plus the Superintendent and two assistants, plus their families attended on taxpayer dollars. This kind of spending goes on in every school system. Ask how often system administrators get their laptops updated. Ours were new every two years. Half of the Administrators didn't even use a laptop, they carried them home for their kids to use. Ask them if their local travel budget has been cut. I used to get 34 cents per mile to use my truck the last three years I worked there. Before that I got a flat rate allowance of between 350 and 550 per month. A real ripoff considering I only put on mileage equal to half that or less. Some Administrators don't even leave the office and get an allowance, it's just like bonus pay.

I could go on and on....

 

I can't believe that you put the liberal blame spin on this one 01.
Let me lay it down for you on this one. Your school district isn't the only one doing this and having to figure out where the money is going to be spent.
Your town doesn't have much if any business tax base. The peoples property tax increase's much like the rest of our state have continued to rise while the incomes stay the same. New schools/material/buildings to deal with increasing student loads cost money or maybe you think these people should work for free. I mean isn't this the type of job growth you have been so passionately talking about in other posts? The cost of doing this is more than the revenue brought in, something has to give somewhere. Maybe when the town elections come up again you can show them how it's done. The after your town is straightened out you can help the rest of the NH towns that are in the same boat.

 

Will you help me campaign? I would love to make change here in New Hampshire. You can be my campaign manager…

 

Ha, just re-read this and caught it this time through..... very good!

 

serotta:

I agree, the school systems, which are basically under the control of liberals, need to get their houses in order and balance their own checkbooks (budgets) and figure out where to cut the fat and there is a ton of fat in public schools.

As I have always stated, teachers deserve to be well paid for the jobs they do, however when many others are in a “pay freeze” then so should they, or if they want to fight for their raises then THEY should be demanding the school system cut the fat to “afford” to pay for the raises.

It is like when liberals say tax cuts cost money…

Tax cuts never cost any money, it is only tax increase, perks, and massive social program spending that cost money.

This school is not seeing one penny from me, and that IS the best thing for the children…

It is called a lesson in "responsibility"

 

Well I am planning to run for governor of Georgia. Pretty soon. I plan to legalize everything. I think that teachers should be paid well. I mean you alt to have seen some of the teachers I had. One taught spanish and came out the first week asking if anyone had a place for him to sleep. He kinda had mental problems though. He often referred to himself as hitler, because he failed the principles son at the last school he taught at and got fired the semester afterward. I lasted about 4 weeks at our school and then got fired for being late. Over the next 6 months I had 4 spanish teachers and about 8 weeks with a substitute playing cards. I had a 12th grade english teacher who tried to fail 90% of my senior class and got fired. All I am saying is you don't want just anyone teaching your kids. It ends up hurting them in the long run.