First off, the story probably is nothing more than a rumor. However, assuming it is true, the problem is that speaking on behalf of middle class parents across this nation, we are tapped out.
I pay property taxes on our home every year for our kids school. However, we also paid 280 dollars a month for our kids to have all day kindergarten instead of a half a day kindergarten. If you are poor, and thus qualified for free or reduced lunches, that was free.
We pay 95 dollars a kid to register them every year. If you are poor, and thus qualify for free or reduced lunches, that is free to you.
We pay hundreds a month for after school care. Its a reduced rate for poor kids that qualify for free or reduced lunches.
We send our kids every day with lunch money or a packed lunch, of course poor kids get their lunch for free.
This in what is literally one of the wealthiest counties in the nation. We are already heavily subsidizing people that have kids that they obviously can't afford in the first place. So I am drawing a line in the sand. We are not buying their school supplies. I am sorry, but if parents cannot afford their kids school supplies when they already get free registration, free all day kindergarten, reduced rates on after school care, and free lunches, then you know, tough, a condom would have been a hell of a lot cheaper than those school supplies.
I hate to be that way, but we are tapped out and I am kind of sick of hearing these same people who have their kids on free lunches and get all this other free stuff spew out all kinds of big ideas they have at every school board or pta meeting. There are lots of great ideas out there when you are spending other peoples money to implement them. Personally, I have a great idea myself, instead of giving the kids from third grade on a tablet PC to take tests with, how about we put that money toward all day kindergarten where middle class families are not stuck shelling out $280 a month on top of their taxes. Esentially an expensive but good quality baby-sitting service - but must it be so costly??? Twenty days times 4 hours....so its not so expensive ??
Sorry for the rant, but as you can see, I am sick of it.