There are many problems plaguing the current educational system in the United States; however, one problem stands out. There is an increasingly high burden being placed on public schools without the funding to match. This is especially true for inner city public schools and other schools in poorer communities. In order to fix this glaring issue, schools must be given greater, more adequate funding.
Across the country, schools are expected to provide various services to students. One major expectation is the offering of breakfast, lunch, and sometimes after school snacks for low or even free prices. Obviously, this is no small task for schools. On average, according to the Institute of Education Sciences, schools spend 431 dollars a year on lunch for each student. Furthermore, this number is even greater for inner city schools where fewer kids are packing lunch and more kids are using fee waivers. As you can probably see, this creates a colossal problem for schools across the country. In response to the growing cost to feed children, schools have cut down on portion sizes and the quality of the food. If schools are not given greater funding, the quality and portions of food given will continue to drop.
Another burden being placed on schools across the country is having to care for kids after school has ended. More than ever, this issue is extremely prevalent in lower income areas. It is increasingly common for schools to provide some sort of day care of after school program. However, this is a surprisingly costly endeavor. At these after school programs, schools are expected to provide some sort of snack and entertainment for the kids. Furthermore, a handful of teachers or employees are paid to stay after school and watch the children. These after school programs further increase the monetary burden placed on public schools. This being said, these programs are extremely beneficial to lower income communities. In these areas parents are often working two jobs and arrive home late at night. In many cases children in these communities may have only one parent who has to soley provide for a family.. Furthermore, these programs partially prevent kids from being exposed to drugs and gangs. To sum up, after school care programs provide parents with a much needed respite and children with an opportunity to continue to learn and stay out of trouble. However, the longevity of these programs may be in jeopardy without greater funding.
Education is a privilege that we, as Americans, often take for granted. Currently there are a few major issues straining public education, yet a lack of funding for increasing expectations stands out as the gravest and most severe. The cost of food and after school programs are just two examples of expectations of public schools that are not adequately funded. Moreover, both these services provide a great relief and service to the community. If we want public schools to continue to provide services like these, there must be an increase in the funding.
