Public schools are supposed to be free. But many of them no longer are. More and more schools are charging for activities and supplies. Many schools now charge a pay-to-play fee. A pay-to-play fee bills parents for their children's after-school sports activities. The fee helps to pay for equipment and coaching. It also pays for bus rides to and from games. State and local taxes used to cover students' activities and supplies. But the cost of education has gone up. At many schools, tax money can no longer pay for everything.
Many schools are in a tough spot. They want to provide students with the same activities they offered in the past. But they don't have the money to pay for them. Are pay-to-play fees the …show more content…
That helps students who are willing to ask for help. But many students are too ashamed to say they can't afford the fees. Sports fees are unfair to those students. Students need the freedom to try different sports. That way they can find out which sport suits them best. Fees keep many students from developing their talents.
Should School Be Year-Round?
Many students say that June is the best time of year. In most places, school lets out as summer begins. Some students don't spend summers at home or at camp, though. They are in school instead. That is because they go to year-round schools.
Students in some year-round schools go to school the same number of days as students in schools with a long summer break. They get mini-breaks throughout the year instead of one long summer vacation. The mini-breaks are a few weeks long. For example, students at some year-round schools get a few weeks off at Thanksgiving instead of just a few days.
More and more schools are becoming year-round places of learning. The National Association for Year-Round Education states that the number of students in year-round schools tripled from 1990 to 2000. By 2001, there were about 3,000 year-round