School began again here a week agoAgain, I am GLAD my child attends private school. The first day was TERRIBLE for the public schools! The schools were understaffed by almost 300 people, buses ran really late, and some schools did not have enough food for al of the students!
I find it interesting, to say the least, that the schools were understaffed by so many people since they just laid off over 500 workers at the end of last year. They began BEGGING for applicants about a month ago, but too little too late I guess. I have not yet heard how many positions are still open today, but with the unemployment rate as high as it is, those spots should be filled.
The bus drivers apparently only know how to get around in their own neighborhoods. Thousands of children were over 2 hours late for class on their first day back! What is really baffling, was that the last student was not dropped off at their home until 7:45 PM! Yes I said 7:45 PM! When school lets out at 2:45 PM how can it take 5 HOURS to run a bus route?!?!?!?!
My neighbors child is 10 and had to call his mother to bring him some food because the school had apparently not made enough for all of the students! Someone really dropped the ball on this one!.I saw a report that many other schools in this area faced similar problems. Since most students are enrolled a few weeks before the new year begins, how on earth was there not enough food to go around??
Another lovely report was released the other day. As of today our sales tax was increased by .01 for every $1. As if we do not already pay enough taxes! The legislation claims that the increase is neede to support the local schools and ease their budget. I get that, because no matter whose child it is I firmly believe in a good education, or at least the opportunity to receive one. What I do not get is how they can be so far off on their budget year after year. Please correct me if I am wrong, but I thought that these problems were supposed to be remedies many years ago when they approved all of these lotteries for the states.
I do not know where the .09 on every dollar I spend is actually going that I currently pay in sales tax! It certainly is NOT to repair the thousands of potholes and sinkholes in our street. It is certainly NOT repairing broken or burned out street lamps. It is certainly NOT going back into the homeless shelters or food banks. It is certainly NOT going toward reforming healthcare in our country. Apparently it is NOT going into our education system. So where is it going??? I wrote about 30 letters to legislators in my state last week about this. I really want answers, as we all should. It has bben a while since I attended school, but when it comes to budgets and schools 2+2 do not equal 4!