Thursday, September 4, 2008

Surely everyone can spare $50!

In my first grader's "take home" folder I found a pink of piece of paper. This paper was a letter from someone at the school district. The letter explained how the kids needed new textbooks for school. They haven't bought new textbooks in over 10 years! The cost for each student to have new textbooks would be $50. The letter said that surely each parent would be willing to pay $50 for their student to have the desperately needed new textbooks.



Ok, now this bothers me for 2 reasons. I'm not saying that the kids don't need new textbooks and I'm not even saying that I won't be willing to donate $50 for the cause. But my son is in first grade! What happened to all of those parents who had kids in school for the last 10 years and have since graduated? How come they weren't asked to pay $50?! Or at least spread it out and ask each parent to donate $5 per year over 10 years?



Secondly, my son is still learning how to read! He can't even read a textbook. If I buy him a textbook now, it will do him no good. He'll still be reading about Spot going to school! Or about how the alphabet climbed up the coconut tree. And if I give the money to buy him a textbook that he can't read now, in 10 years when he can use it, they'll tell me that the same textbook is too old and he needs $50 (maybe $100 by then) to buy a new one!



Ok, I'm done complaining. So does anyone want to lend me $50????

3 comments:

Kim said...

It seems the school should be handling that a little different! Oh and thanks for your comment

Michelle said...

Now that seems like something that should be part of the capital budget or somewhere in there. Just saying. That or do what my school did growing up - $25 textbook fee every year that I had a textbook. Out of curiosity, do you have any other fees that you pay annually? e.g., I have a $96 check I write for PreK to register, and I know it only gets larger as they get older!

Unknown said...

What happened to taxes paying for text books?