Ginny Hall

Grade 8

Jackson Middle School

How my school is affected by Ohio’s school funding problems

It has been said that your education is worth what you are worth and if this is true, the students of my community are headed into a full fledged depression. Ohio school funding has left the children of Ohio with meager learning conditions and uncertain futures. My school is soon to suffer the consequences of this funding massacre.

The extra-curricular activities of Grove City have been threatened with extinction because of a recent levy failure. The prominent Grove City High School Marching Band is one of the best in the nation and has taken many admirable trips. Sadly, along with the three-thousand other citizens or students, there will be no Football Friday Nights to attend. Many students of my district participate in extra curricular activities and keep their grades up for that sole purpose. One must take in the realization that scores of my district will hit an all time low.

As an excelling student, I understand that due to funding problems the advanced placement classes at my future school may be cut. After looking at the field of optometry as a career, I realized the extreme science and mathematics classes needed to advance to the seventeen competitive optometry schools in the country. Unfortunately, the courses needed to take are in jeopardy. This is only one of the many cases in which young adults dreams and futures are demolished.

Events at school and trips are always the highlight of a student’s education. Carnivals for small children at elementary schools, bazaars to raise money in high school and trips to Washington D.C. for middle school. These give children fun ways to be involved on school and stay out of trouble. There are also field trips that give a unique way in which students absorb knowledge. Buses are needed to run these trips. As already kids from a two-mile distance may have to walk to school, I highly doubt rides to the zoo and COSI will be the priority. With no budget left for transportation, all of the above will be a thing of the past.

All over the quality of education and my community will be drastically lowered. Peers at my school will have more time without activities to manage their time. This may result in more gangs and trouble making in general. Where will the “GO DAWGS!” shirts, that support our Grove City Greyhounds, go when there are no Greyhounds to support? Spirit is an important factor to the foundation of a great school. It can unite a school or in this case, crumble it.

Ohio’s school funding has had a major negative impact on all school across Ohio. In my district the extra curricular activities, the advanced classes, the school trips and the quality of the community all over will somehow take a beating from this negative affect. If schools suffer the pain that mine is about to undergo, then why hasn’t Ohio done something about this? Even after the funding has been claimed unconstitutional, why has it not been changed? The students of Ohio are worth more than this funding system suggests. As citizens of the United States of America, the children of Ohio are entitled to a magnificent education filled with experiences that will shape their lives forever.