The cost for our children to participate in school sports seems to be rising at a rate that is outpacing a rise in income for the average family. Today, parents are faced with school fees, which I don’t recall existing when I came through the system, sports fees, and fees at every game that one attends. This led some to ask questions like”doesn’t the school get funds to operate? Why am I paying to enter sports games when I already paid a sports fee?, and more.” To an extent, these are legitimate questions. With all of this new money pouring into the system, why have we seen schools closed and the state stepping in?
According to usnews.com, the Caddo Parish Public School System generates approximately $500 annually. This translates into $6.6 million on instructions, $4.8 million on support services, and $434.6 million on “other” expenses. I’d hope that some of the “other” includes bus maintenance and school building maintenance. This is a lot of money flowing through our school system, but where are we seeing it pay off? According to caddoschools.org, there are approximately 37,000 students in the system. We charge most of them $20-40 dollars annually for “school fees” and for those in sports there is an additional fee and for the thousands of family members that attend games, an additional $7- $10 per person per game.
It shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to see that parents are being burdened and may feel that they are not getting “bang for buck.” I will say that I am very appreciative of Superintendent Burton’s willingness to address my correspondence. A good leader is a reachable and responsive leader. A good citizen is an active and attentive one. So I stay involved as much as possible. While I have reached out to my School Board member(district 2) and City Councilwoman (district A) with NO responses, the Superintendent seems to have a pulse on the problem and is even conducting listing tours now. This is what is needed, not ignoring the constituents. If the first time that you hear from a leader, they are seeking your vote, DON’T VOTE FOR THEM. Vote for who gives you time and listen to you.
So where do we go from here? Contact your elected officials. Education is more than just lectures and memorizing data for tests. We need an environment for learning to surpass the school walls. Sports and extracurriculars are part of the learning process and educational experience.
