The Rising Costs of a 'Free' Public Education
Schools are charging parents for programs and items that have traditionally come standard
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The kids are back in school. And you've probably shelled out for pencil cases, notebooks, a new backpack—and AP French.
"Free public education" clauses are written into state constitutions nationwide. Yet at many public schools around the country it has become anything but. Schools are charging parents for programs and items that have traditionally come standard—including fees for course supplies, school-run extracurricular activities, transportation and even basic registration fees.
School districts have seen their budgets slashed over the past few years as states cut back funding amid the economic downturn. And this year is no exception, even as the economy continues to slowly improve. Thanks to the federal budget sequester earlier this year, schools nationwide have had to adjust to additional budget cuts of 5%, says Dan Domenech, executive director of the AASA, the School Superintendents Association, a nonprofit public-education advocacy group based in Alexandria, Va.
Parents aren't happy about having to cover some of the tab. And some are even fighting back.
When the Ann Arbor (Mich.) Public Schools district announced that it would require high-school students to pay a $100 fee to take a seventh class, parents Barton Polot and Chris Coombe took action. They enlisted the help of the American Civil Liberties
