[Young Scholar]

What the school is doing here is taking even more money than it needs to educate students, and then creating a number of programs (band, sports, etc.) that are relatively expensive--more than most people can afford or choose to spend (after taxes and giving up a second job to homeschool). While they may have a compelling reason to provide a free public education, is there any reason they need to provide activities such as these?

Sure, extracurricular activities may be valuable to kids, but if a kid wants to play, shouldn't his family pay the costs associated with the program? Is it really fair to make taxpayers pay so kids can do extracurricular activities, and then limit these taxpayer-funded activities to kids who choose to cost taxpayers even more by attending taxpayer-funded schools, while excluding those who pay for their own education?

[ran15]

No expense is spared for team after team in sports and band.. and their trips around the country.

Yet the schools are always crying because they are short on money.. so short infact they can't afford new textbooks for all the kids.