Today the Wall Street Journal published a thought-provoking article about fees in public high schools and the effects budget struggles have had on course availability and extracurricular enrollment.
One superintendent drew an interesting conclusion about a valuable lesson to come out of his schools’ situation:
But the fees have brought a few unanticipated benefits. Though participation in athletics and music is down, those who remain are more committed than ever, according to some teachers. Many teens have taken jobs to help pay for their activities and say they’re proud of their new responsibilities.
While it has pained him to put price tags on so much of the public-school experience, Superintendent Randy Stepp said the new cost structure may not be all bad.
“Students have to realize, as our country is realizing, that you can’t have everything,” Mr. Stepp said. “We all have to make tough choices.”
The whole article is worth reading here.
