SUN EDITORIAL:

Bring your own supplies

Pinched school budgets force parents to reach into their pockets for … toilet paper?

Sunday, Aug. 24, 2008 | 2:09 a.m.

Every year parents across America are asked to pitch in to help the public schools provide classroom supplies. The typical request might be for crayons or other art supplies.

Recently, as the economy has languished, the requests for help have included items that go beyond classroom staples. Last year parents in Jacksonville, Fla., were asked to donate toilet paper. Other schools have asked for paper for the school copy machine.

Trying to do more with less, school administrations across the nation are finding ways to continue to provide the educational essentials. The American Association of School Administrators reported that high gas prices have led at least 15 school districts to switch to four-day school weeks and dozens of others are considering following suit. Some schools have switched from half-day kindergarten to full day to cut down on the number of bus trips.

Other districts are raising the price of school lunches and cutting back on travel for field trips and sports.

The Clark County School District has already cut funding for special programs, including for gifted and special needs students, and put off the purchase of new textbooks. Now school administrators are trying to trim the fuel budget by making fewer stops, thus making children walk farther to catch a bus. The district is also considering the desperate measure of selling advertising on the sides of school buses to make ends meet.

That is not a surprise. Despite what the critics of public education say, the state has never adequately funded the schools.

Voters should be asking legislative candidates this year what they plan to do about school funding. It is not acceptable to go without current textbooks, nor is it acceptable to expect parents to continue to pitch in for basic supplies.

The state Legislature should make Nevada’s education system a top priority. If nothing changes, parents shouldn’t be surprised if they’re asked next year to help pitch in for the light bill.

Discussion: 8 comments so far…

By neiman1

8/24/08 at 3:19 a.m.

Suggest removal

Open the schools for choice. Allow open vouchers for all and let private schools compete with the government educational system. It works in college, why not K-12?
By geezelouise

8/24/08 at 9 a.m.

Suggest removal

Paper towels, paper plates, clorox wipes, hand sanitizer and kleenex. I don't mind contributing them at all, but textbooks need to be provided by the schools.

If you don't educate them now, you will incarcerate them later.
By JohnF

8/24/08 at 12:37 p.m.

Suggest removal

Neiman1,

It doesn't work with K-12 the way it does in college because not everyone is required to go to college. Plus, there are a lot of people who would like to go to college but can't because of the cost.

Vouchers are nothing more than taxpayers subsidizing the private educations of kids with wealthy parents.
By jfnance32

8/24/08 at 1:02 p.m.

Suggest removal

Inner city school children get a terrible value out of the government ran education system.

The DC public schools are one of the highest funded per student public school systems in the whole world.

Yet, I doubt if you will find one congressman, senator or high ranking offical send their children to that nightmare of school system.

I would be willing just to have school vouchers for inner city poor children just to give them some chance at a value education.
By azsk8fan

8/24/08 at 5:12 p.m.

Suggest removal

But it's not the textbooks that teachers are buying out of their pockets at the supply stores - it's the school supplies themselves - and that, as far as I'm concerned, should be the parents' responsibility. Naturally it should be up to the school to provide the actual textbooks - just not the paper, pencils, notebooks etc. that kids need to complete their assignments, take notes etc. There should be no need for either the teachers nor the taxpayers to provide those items.
By uddeboda

8/24/08 at 11:49 p.m.

Suggest removal

I cant believe what I am reading. Parents are supplying paper towels, toilet paper etc even copying paper. Are the schools in the USA so poor or is it the federal system that is stingy. Many teenagers would like to continue to study after the obligatory yrs, but cant because it costs too much??. If the USA cant afford free education for all, even at univsersity, yet can afford to spend trillions on "warsgames", what hope is there for you in the future. Your children are the future guarantee for prosperity. Sweden on the other hand has free education for all, even at university.
By dktrmat

8/25/08 at 3:17 p.m.

Suggest removal

What people seem to forget is that modern day schools already assist parents with services that were unthinkable in past times. Schools transport, clothe, feed, babysit, counsel, and provide medical services. If it is necessary for parents to chip in a little during lean times, then they should gladly do so. Or maybe the schools should cancel all transportation, free lunch, medical services, school bell, etc. Then the money would be there.
By uddeboda

8/26/08 at 4:46 a.m.

Suggest removal

DKTRMAT,
You are so wrong with your assumptions that parents should help out with supplying items for the school. Why do you think you pay taxes. If you believe these are lean times, then you have only got your government to blame, and they should NOT put the burden onto you