The Costs of "Free" Education

In a recent Wall Street Journal Article Stephanie Simon brought up the increasing number of parents forced to pay out of pocket for the quality of their children’s public education. As if the gap between upper and lower class students weren’t wide enough, schools are forcing the stress of financial problems onto the younger generation.

An article in the Atlanta Post said “With new “pay to play” rules being implemented in schools across the country, an invisible line is being drawn in classrooms separating the have’s from the have not’s.” Children are already hyper aware of the differences between themselves and other children. These differences include the financial struggles of their parents.

How much are parents paying? One mother from Ohio spent more than $4,000 enrolling their children in public education said the Wall Street Journal. A mother from Oregon spent about $250 for each of her children. “Multiply that by five and I might as well have sent [them] to private school”.

“Public schools are spending 93 percent more than the estimated median private school,” said a study done by the CATO Institute. Schools can waive fees for students who can’t pay them, but they don’t receive the things the other students get for paying the fees. Many students go without yearbooks, or student ID cards because their parents can’t afford to send them to school with the money.

Elective classes like band and the performing arts are being cut from schools across the country. The schools where these classes have not been cut are the schools with students who come from upper class families. “I’d switch schools if I could, but it’s a “rich kid” school,” said a high school freshman who was given the opportunity to help out with a theater production at a neighboring high school. 

With so many budget cuts schools are trying to supplement a lack of money with parent provided funds. Until the government starts working with schools and parents to fix money problems, the price of a "free" education will continue to rise.