Where Does Our Money Go?

Johnny Martinez, Staff Writer

 

As we all know and understand from sole experience, high school is a very rough and tedious place. With the factors of grades and participation, we also have to pay for a lot of the events, meals, rides, exams, and other things that are set up in high school. The costs seem to be slowly rising, and student’s parents, or their own paychecks may not be enough to afford the massive costs. Everyone has a personalized perspective on the matter and how money is used in everyday life. 

 

Given the example, some high school students will take exams for college or other specifics. In the process of signing up, students are required to pay a fee to register into the systems and become “qualified.” Is it really necessary to make a high school student, still in the process of becoming an adult, pay for an educational exam? Paying for things like Chromebook insurance and supplies are natural, you are basically paying for the year itself and it is mostly covered for the time being, but paying for exams that last possibly once or twice just to go on your record for college and such is unnecessary. 

 

Along with that, paying for bus rides on field trips or place visits is also not needed. At most, it should be lowered to around 3-5 dollars per ride, to the area designed and back to the initial location. If riding the bus is a free program everyday for kids without cars or parental transportation, why is it that kids have to pay so much as 10-15 dollars for one ride? 

 

On another note, high schools or schools in general usually don’t inform students or parents about where the money is going or what it’s meant to be used for. If I’m meant to pay money for trips, food, and more, then where is it all going? What is the use of prying money out of the people who attend your district if they don’t know or understand where their money is truly being placed? I understand the basic factor that schools and businesses need money to continue thriving, but at the least they could inform students and parents who purchase, on what it’s being initially used for. 

 

High schools raise prices to ridiculous amounts, enough to have themselves get by but enough to wring a student dry of their financial status. I believe the prices should be negotiated with people who are willing to purchase before releasing them to the public. For the sake of our students, our staff, and everyone who attends high school in general, finances need to be fixed.