When we shot the photos roughly illustrating the differences in private funding among three area schools, we had a little problem.
Orono was easy: The community group Orono Alliance for Education raises about $500,000 a year, so five 100 Grand bars. Done. I ran upstairs to get a knife to represent Southwest — we needed two whole bars and a half a bar. And then, for Washburn High in South Minneapolis, I had to go hunt down a ruler. How do you cut one-twentieth of a candy bar?
That really brought the point home for me, even after reading Kris Berggren’s article.
Now, a statistician could throw these particular numbers up in the air and shoot them down like skeet: What about per-capita numbers? (The Orono School District enrolls about 2,500 students, Southwest High about 1,600 students, and Washburn about 1,200.) What about as a percentage of the budget as a whole? What about other measures of per-pupil spending?
True, true, true, but when we look at the isolated issue of how deep a community’s well is when it comes to supporting its schools, it’s clear that some have only crumbs — or, to avoid mixing my metaphors, just a few drops.
It’s an issue that goes well beyond the physical things that money can buy (school auditoriums, sports equipment, even salaries to reduce class sizes) and straight to the deeper issue of who has a voice. I’d be the last person to tell a generous benefactor she can’t give to a school of her choosing. And nobody better curtail my right to support my own favorite causes. So limiting private fundraising isn’t the answer. But how do we ensure greater equity across the board?
When you’ve got it figured out, let me know where you stand on school fundraising. And, while you’re at it, any chance you want to buy some wrapping paper?
