Back to School, 2008: Death of Free Education in America?

Back to school this year may be the last time that parents see a relatively free source of public school education for awhile. Nobody is keeping it a secret that prices are going up in classroom heat, school-program food, and within school district gasoline budgets. Schools have previously cut non-football sports, music, classroom aides, and classroom supplies from their rosters to make ends meet.

Are we witnessing the death of free education in America?

School districts across America receive a set amount of funds that must be used to cover all areas related to education. During the recession at the end of the 1970's and beginning of the 1980's, school districts cut away all unnecessary costs in programs, teachers, and classroom supplies. At back to school time parents were encouraged to buy classroom supplies and to sign-up for volunteer classroom aid positions to cover these budget cuts.

After these initial budget cuts went into effect about 25-years ago, schools have been scrambling to trim every available area of budget overlooked in the past budget cuts to keep the classrooms going. In simple language, many schools today have no clue on how they will heat their classrooms or run their busses after the funded money runs out after the start of this back to school year.

Public schools are traditionally funded by tax money, if a big problem related to school operations hit during back to school planning, the public would be asked to donate more money to the school to keep it running. With our current economic issues eating so far into the average tax payer's personal budget, schools can not logically expect to receive much tax-payer sympathy on gasoline problems or heating bills.

Today, schools have only a few options available to explore on where to find extra money to keep their basic needs paid for: 1. Ask for more tax money from impoverished tax payers. 2. Cut back on the amount and number of teacher salaries paid. 3. Ask parents to pay for their child's educational needs that are not being covered by tax money. Back to school this year might be the beginnings of the death of free education in America.

As more and more American's are experiencing hardships due to rising costs in necessities and fewer pay raises to go with them, it might be wise to ask ourselves where the future of our free education system is going:

~ At back to school time, if heat is unavailable in the classrooms can the children attend school?

~ At back to school time, if bus fare is not in the budget, will children be turned away from education due to economical status?

~ At back to school time, what happens if there is not enough money to pay teachers?

In my opinion, our days of free public education are numbered; if the money is not there to support the back to school basic budget needs, you can only fire so many teachers before the rising costs result in parents paying for education or the doors being closed. This year as we are all buying our back to school classroom supplies, it may be time for a pause to give thanks that our schools are still there to send the supplies off to.