Year Round Schools
The school board meeting the other night was packed with parents opposed to year round schools. One mother let the ‘chips fall where they may,’ put it bluntly and said “switching to year round schools would force her family to eschew the annual beach vacation.” (News and Observer; 9-26-06).
Now, there’s something about all this that’s troubling and it goes beyond just the issues of year round schools and billion dollar school bonds.
Think of it this way: The parents who are complaining have been receiving a blessing from the community (a free public education for their children) – but, now, they are turning around and saying that’s not good enough. Why? Because it interferes with their vacations.
Does this sound a little selfish?
In effect, these parents – to protect their vacations – want other people to pay a billion dollars more in taxes for new schools – while the schools we have now sit empty for 25% of the year. Does that really make common sense?
Maybe these parents should take a minute to consider what a blessing they really have: It would cost $10,000 a year to send a child to a private school. If, by comparison, the only price they pay for their children’s education is readjusting their beach vacation schedules – is that so terrible?
Year Round Schools
The school board meeting the other night was packed with parents opposed to year round schools. One mother let the ‘chips fall where they may,’ put it bluntly and said “switching to year round schools would force her family to eschew the annual beach vacation.” (News and Observer; 9-26-06).
Now, there’s something about all this that’s troubling and it goes beyond just the issues of year round schools and billion dollar school bonds.
Think of it this way: The parents who are complaining have been receiving a blessing from the community (a free public education for their children) – but, now, they are turning around and saying that’s not good enough. Why? Because it interferes with their vacations.
Does this sound a little selfish?
In effect, these parents – to protect their vacations – want other people to pay a billion dollars more in taxes for new schools – while the schools we have now sit empty for 25% of the year. Does that really make common sense?
Maybe these parents should take a minute to consider what a blessing they really have: It would cost $10,000 a year to send a child to a private school. If, by comparison, the only price they pay for their children’s education is readjusting their beach vacation schedules – is that so terrible?