[Speed Gibson,
Monday April 17, 2006 at 11:10pm]
Activity Vouchers
In almost every public school district parents complain of a squeeze on sports and other after school activities. Some are shut down, fees become unaffordable for others, and there are all of those fundraisers. I have long wanted to put the funds for this important dimension of secondary education off limits, unavailable to the Administration and the Unions.
In fact, why can't we make a voucher out of this, whereby money is pinned to the student to spend at the high school, the latter being enjoined from charging fees or imposing required fund-raising services on either the students or the parents.
Unlike full vouchers, this money never leaves the district. Unused funds can be reallocated as scholarships for the multi-taskers out there that play three sports, take band, and are in the class play, more than one voucher would otherwise cover. But the Administration cannot use the funds to buy the textbooks they forgot to budget for. Nor are these funds on the table when bargaining with the Unions.
It's that last requirement that would be the first reason why not.
In fact, why can't we make a voucher out of this, whereby money is pinned to the student to spend at the high school, the latter being enjoined from charging fees or imposing required fund-raising services on either the students or the parents.
Unlike full vouchers, this money never leaves the district. Unused funds can be reallocated as scholarships for the multi-taskers out there that play three sports, take band, and are in the class play, more than one voucher would otherwise cover. But the Administration cannot use the funds to buy the textbooks they forgot to budget for. Nor are these funds on the table when bargaining with the Unions.
It's that last requirement that would be the first reason why not.