[BabyPeanut]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '[')url=http://enterprise.southofboston.com/articles/2005/10/11/news/news/news01.txt]Schools facing big chill (link)[/url]
By Tim Grace, Enterprise staff writer and Lane Lambert, The Patriot Ledger

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Even if the coldest months don't prove to be as cold as last year, "I know the money's not going to be enough," Hull school business manager William Hurst said.

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* Plymouth may spend $671,000 over its budget for the town's 12 schools, if electricity, natural gas and heating oil prices don't fall. That would be 28 percent more than the $2.4 million the town has budgeted for the 2005-2006 year.

* Avon schools are bracing for at least a 30 percent hike in utility bills in a year when the town level-funded the school budget. "We're talking about preparing for the worst," said School Superintendent Margaret Frieswyk.

* In Abington, Assistant Superintendent Peter Schafer is estimating a shortfall of "anywhere between zero and $400,000," in the school district's utility budget. "Last year, gasoline cost was $7,000. This year it could be $18,000," Schafer said.

* Hingham is expecting to spend an extra $110,000 more for gas, with an overall heat and gas deficit of at least $50,000 on a $904,000 annual budget.

In Hingham, school officials say they may cancel field trips if the price of gasoline goes any higher.

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Solar panels on the Brockton High School roof "are in large part a teaching tool" and not significant contributors to the school's overall energy needs, said spokeswoman Jocelyn Meek.

In Abington, transportation surcharges could top $10,000 because of climbing diesel costs and natural gas for heating could nearly triple from the $200,000 spent last year to $581,000 according to Schafer.

[anthem]

The things that public schools "teach" that are worth learning could be condensed into about 3 years. The sooner these money pits swallow themselves the better. Would that all school districts would go bankrupt due to high energy costs.

Anyone who thinks he values public education ought to educate himself. John Taylor Gatto, a former teacher, in fact a "New York Teacher of the Year", has written a book that should be required reading for anyone interested in defending compulsory "public education".

[savethehumans]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')n Hingham, school officials say they may cancel field trips if the price of gasoline goes any higher.

[pup55]

Out here in suburbia they have solved the problem by packing as many students as possible into as small a school as possible. A middle school near us has 4000 students, for example. Rather than several small, sane schools, they tend to build one big insane one. The energy efficiency per student is maximized that way. The amount of learning per student is minimized, but unlike raising school taxes, no one on the school board ever got flak for a slight reduction in educational standards.

The drawback of this of course is that you have to find some way to get that many kids to one central place. Buses, the most efficient, run on diesel, which has doubled in price and is subject to spot shortages.

About this time of year, the flu starts to spread in these places, what with all of the snot nosed kids in close proximity to one another, if one of them gets it, they all get it. No telling what would happen if bird flu ever did really occur. If you keep this many cattle in one confined area, the USDA makes you give them antibiotics in their feed. Not so with the kids.

Anyway, it remains to be seen whether this system will withstand $3 diesel and $12 natural gas.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Leaf', 'G')OOD!
I will be the first to welcome Big Box schools to end!
I'd like to see the return of small scale 2 rooms schoolhouses..Maybe then the kids will learn something!

[GrizzAdams]

American schools are already a joke. If all the schooling totally stopped here in the US, (except for home schooling) it wouldn't make much difference, I think. About 25% of Americans can't even point Iraq out on a map, and 50% think that there is an invisible man that lives up in the sky, and that he throws fire when he becomes upset.

SAT tests are so complicated, that one has to hire a private tudor, just to study for them. And it is no wonder, why we have so many supposed losers, in society. Now I am not saying that the reason for all the losers in society is solely because of SAT tests, but it doesn't help, does it? It is just one in a list of many reasons, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

[fossilnut2]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('savethehumans', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')n Hingham, school officials say they may cancel field trips if the price of gasoline goes any higher.

[Specop_007]

Public school is a joke blah blah blah its the systems fault blah blah blah.

Maybe the REAL issue here is the children dont want to learn? You could hire Hawkins to teach your kid science, if he doesnt want to learn it does you no good.
And maybe the kids arent motivated because they get home and the parents shove them in front of the TV rather then sitting down for even just 5 minutes and TALKING to their children.

Public schools certainly arent Gods gift to education I wont defend that point.
But, those public schools have also turned out some brilliant minds. I'd fault parents before I faulted the school. Maybe parents should buy a chemisty set and telescope for X-Mas instead of whatever fancy new game has just been released....

Just a thought.

[formandfile]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Specop_007', ' ')I'd fault parents before I faulted the school. Maybe parents should buy a chemisty set and telescope for X-Mas instead of whatever fancy new game has just been released....

Just a thought.

[Revi]

What do you propose to replace public education? If it unravels the whole thing goes down. Kids go through the school system, graduate and move on to take their places in a dysfunctional society. The centralized school district goes hand in hand with suburbia, easy motoring and strip malls.

[Specop_007]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Revi', 'W')hat do you propose to replace public education? If it unravels the whole thing goes down. Kids go through the school system, graduate and move on to take their places in a dysfunctional society. The centralized school district goes hand in hand with suburbia, easy motoring and strip malls.

[duke3522]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Specop_007', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Revi', 'W')hat do you propose to replace public education? If it unravels the whole thing goes down. Kids go through the school system, graduate and move on to take their places in a dysfunctional society. The centralized school district goes hand in hand with suburbia, easy motoring and strip malls.

[GrizzAdams]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Specop_007', 'P')ublic school is a joke blah blah blah its the systems fault blah blah blah.

Maybe the REAL issue here is the children dont want to learn?

[rogerhb]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Specop_007', 'P')ublic education isnt broke. We've had it for centuries.

[BabyPeanut]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('fossilnut2', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('savethehumans', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')n Hingham, school officials say they may cancel field trips if the price of gasoline goes any higher.

[Specop_007]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rogerhb', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Specop_007', 'P')ublic education isnt broke. We've had it for centuries.

[GrizzAdams]

Around the 5th century B.C. there was a utopia of recorded education in the Royal Library of Alexandria. One mathematician in particular, calculated the circumference of the Earth to an error of only a few percent. His methods included stix, feet, and brains. This library was the first of its kind, but it was eventually destroyed by political upheavles, and today, little remains of it.

No point really, just thought it was some interesting history.