In the past, other schools in Cuyahoga County all faced levies and failed including Bedford, Berea, Cuyahoga Heights, Euclid, Garfield Heights, and Strongsville. So as your child heads back to school and, if they are in Cleveland Public Schools, your vote will count one way or another.
The cost of education
Well, it’s that time again where you will see the big yellow buses and children waiting to be picked up to go to school. Back to School has seemed to become very costly these days even for younger kids.
This week, some will be going back to school and the question is how much money are you going to spend on various school items?
Have you seen the new list of supplies needed for students?
You have to take out a loan to buy all those items. I remember only being interested in what new clothes I was going to get.
Those were the times when you didn’t have to worry about mortgage/rent and bills. All you had to worry about was staying in the lines while you colored. I am sure all those years I begged for the 64 box of crayons, which at that time was the bomb, cost my parents a lot of money.
Without having Wal-Mart around when I was coming up, I guess Giant Tiger and Woolworth’s served as the stores to shop in for discounts. I remember gathering up a stash of pens and pencils from last year to reuse for the following year if they were any good.
Education has always been on the minds of most parents from the day their children are born. The rich people seem to have had it down to a science. They open bank accounts and started saving for college.
Most have always argued that if you wanted a good education you have to pay for it. I agree to a certain point. I still enjoyed going to Moses Cleveland, and of course Robert H. Jamison, which to this day is the only junior high school I know that has a reunion like a high school each year.
Nowadays, kids are wearing Tommy Hilfiger and other designer clothes to school which is adding more dollars on the budget for back to school expenses. So the average family is spending quite a bit per child to send them back to school each year.
If they attend schools like Hathaway Brown or Hawken, you are already paying for registration fees and other supplies. I remember getting money to go downtown and purchase my own school clothes. That always made me feel like I was in charge or a little grown.
Having the ability to pick out what I wanted to wear was always something I could do with my mother’s blessing, that I would do the right thing and get some decent pants and shirts that look nice. It was not an option to buy clothes that was in style for only a quick moment.
One of the great lessons I think will be helpful is start your back to school shopping early, like you would do for the Christmas season. Make sure you find a store next year that have layaway to put things up and pay on it over a three month period or longer if they allow it.
Now, you can always purchase a few items to send to school with looking good and they catch the after school specials where the same clothing has been marked down after school starts.
If you have a few children in school and they need some of the same items, you can always buy in bulk. Notebooks for 17 cents and other items all come in bulk. Seems like a lot of schools are asking for glue sticks in K through 8, buy it in bulk and save.
Parents are left to pay the cost for all educational needs. More and more levies are on the ballot for schools to help keep teachers, programs, and even sports. The sad part is some seniors are forced to pay fees or extra taxes for their homes and have no children in the school system.
I believe there will come a time when public schools will be charging for students to attend. The trend seems to be headed in that direction. Most families have chosen to sign their kids up in alternative schools including charter schools.
Cleveland is faced with passing a 15 mil school levy in November, which will cost a homeowner of a $50,000 home about $230 a year. No matter how you break it down, it’s going to cost you.
Passing the levy will help keep teachers employed and children hopefully learning and working hard to become all they can be in school. School is an outlet for some children who look forward to coming through those school doors. For some, if nothing else, it means getting a meal.
Gov. John Kasich has done some good by the school system and a lot of wrong by taking away funding. Without funding, people become hand cuffed and can’t operate like they should.
In the past, other schools in Cuyahoga County all faced levies and failed including Bedford, Berea, Cuyahoga Heights, Euclid, Garfield Heights, and Strongsville. So as your child heads back to school and, if they are in Cleveland Public Schools, your vote will count one way or another.
So remember… while sending your kids back to school, make sure they are equipped with all the tools needed for them to get a good education. Don’t be so concern about the stylish backpack or tennis shoes. Make sure they are ready for the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT).
This test is aligned to Ohio’s Academic Content Standards in reading, mathematics, science, social studies and writing that students in high school must take to demonstrate proficiency before graduation from high school.
It’s clear that you must pass all five parts of this test to graduate, hard to see a child getting good grades but can’t pass the OGT. So summer vacation is over and it’s time to go back to school… Have a great school year to both children and the parents!
Follow me on twitter @JimmyWadeIII
Readers can write to James W. Wade III at The Call & Post, 11800 Shaker Blvd. Cleveland, Ohio 44120 or email jwade@call-post.com. Comments and questions are welcome but, because of the volume of mail, personal responses are not always possible. Please note that comments or questions may be used in a future column.
