argument paper on unequal funding in schools

Bailey Bickel
Prof. Nelson
Core 1
7 October 2014
Unequal Education

Money. Something that affects us all. When it comes to education it can affect people in multiple ways. According to an essay written on WriteWork.com, money plays a big role in the educational system. The more money a school has, the more opportunities and benefits it has for its students. What about the schools that do not have or receive a lot of money? What do they get? The students still receive an education but is it the same quality education that the schools with more money have? Why is there a difference in schools? They should all be the same and every child should be given the same opportunities as everyone else. In the Chicagoland area in Illinois, these questions are visible to everyone who lives there. I went to a private high school in the suburb Lombard named, Montini Catholic. To attend this school you had to pay around $11,000 a year. Because of that price stamped on the school, some people are deterred away. My school was very generous and used money that it received to help students that were struggling to pay their tuition. When I graduated, Montini had received turf for their football field, IPads for the students to use in class, a new gym floor, new baseball field, and a brand new parking lot. But where did all this money come from? Well the wealthier families who attended my school were very generous and helped fund these projects. My school has clubs, sports, and great academics that the students participate in and receive great opportunities from. Some may think that’s a private school, what about the public schools? There a many public schools in my hometown area, and they have significantly more money than the private school I went to has. For example, the school Naperville Central that is located 5 miles away from my house. Everything at their school is up to date in technology and are always doing renovations on the school to make it bigger and better. The only reason why they can do this is because they receive their money through tax dollars. The area that this high school is located in is a wealthy community that pays very high taxes and a good amount of those taxes go to fund the public schools in their town. Regardless if it is a public or private school, there are schools that maximize their opportunities for the children attending the school. On the other end of things, there are many other schools that do not have the same benefits and opportunities as the one I went to and the ones near my home. All it takes is a 30 minute drive to the city of Chicago. In Chicago there are over 600 schools in the Chicago school system. Not all of these schools receive the same amount of money for broadening children’s educations. Some of these inner city schools do not have up to date books, computers, IPads, football fields, clubs, or sports because the school cannot afford it. They do not receive the same amount of money as Naperville Central does because of the area these schools are located. Many of these inner city schools are located in an area where the taxes are low due to the small income rate. These students receive a lower education, low to no chance of educated teachers, and are exposed to a higher risk of violence (Edumacation). On the television back at home, I watch, hear, and see on the news that there are schools in Chicago closing and students not receiving the education they should be because of inadequate funding. The schools are receiving little to no money from the taxes in the area its located in or from the government. Many students who attend these schools are less prepared for high school and college because the school cannot afford quality educated teachers. There is hope because at least these kids are receiving an education but, it may not be a good enough one to help get them somewhere in life.
There is no reason why a school in the inner city of Chicago should be drastically different from a school that is located 30 minutes away in the suburbs. School is school. They were created to help children grow and strive to become something in life. The cost that families have to pay for a child to go to school should not have anything to do with if they are receiving a better education or not. Unfortunately in some cases it does. Each level of education at any school should all be equal. No child should walk out of a school and not be prepared for their next level of education or feel that they cannot continue with their education because there is nothing for them to strive for in life.

Bibliography
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