I am not a teacher in a government school. I am a retired software/electrical engineer. I am donating my time as an after-hours instructor in a community school. The classes have not started yet, and I am scared to death that I will screw this up. Given that I'm not even close to being a politically correct person, I expect to incur the wrath of The Machine in short order.
I volunteered as a mentor for the robotics team last year, and discovered that schools no longer teach shop. They certainly don't teach subjects that prepare people for making robots. I taught the kids how to use tools and make machines. The school recognized its shortcomings, and took my offer for teaching classes. Since I am not a certified teacher, and am too old to spend time to get a certificate, we choose the uncredited after-school classwork. The school spent a great deal of money equipping a machine shop to my specifications.
So, I am impressed that the school and the county would even take this, not in their budget for the year, and run with it. That clearly demonstrates a willingness to do the right thing. I have never seen that happen with any other government agency throughout my life.
While true that most book-centric studies can be accomplished most successfully outside of good funding, some things cannot. I observed no home schooled teams at the FIRST robotics competition. It takes $5000 to purchase a basic parts kit, plus an additional $2000 to $5000 to complete a machine that will work in the competition. There is another $5000 to register for the competition events. That totals to numbers that are not so easy to handle by small groups. Now, all of those parts need to be fitted together in a machine shop. You will drop about $20,000 for a nicely equipped shop.
Some things cost money. Actually working with physical devices in the technologies is definitely one of them.
I tried to start a program outside of the school system to address the needs of technical instruction. Nobody wanted to help. No organization wanted to help. I am in the Atlanta area where there is a lot of money, yet I was the lone voice crying out in the wilderness. A government school stepped up to the plate when no other entity did so. I spent the better part of a year trying to find sponsorship. Parents certainly don't care enough to help, they were the first to say, no thanks.
You have been very sweet during all of this, and I apologize for my lack of manners. My wife selected my login moniker for me, matching my general disposition. More later, I have to run to a robotics funding event.
Since your county was willing to take on the expense of a robot team for the government school, it likely would take on the expense for the Department of Parks and Recreation, if the government K-12 system were to collapse.
Also....Is your robot team open to homeschoolers and private schoolers, or are only those in the socialist-entitlement K-12 schools entitled to the money collected from the taxpayer ( by threat of police and court action)?
As for science labs: