The High Cost of Public Education

Does it seem like public education is carrying a private school price tag these days?

If you're a parent with children in public school you know just how ridiculous the charges and fees and special assessments can be. A new report from the Wall Street Journal shows schools aren't just charging for the frills -- like museum tickets for a field trip -- but for basics, like biology lab safety goggles, algebra workbooks and the like.

Sometimes, the schools charge for printer ink to copy grammar exercises. At high schools in several states, it can cost more than $200 just to walk in the door, due to registration fees, technology fees and instructional fees.

Isn't that what schools are supposed to do? Instruct?

Other schools have given up the fee-for-item scheme and charge students for taking classes. Money is due when your child registers. Some schools offer installment plans, while others accept credit cards -- but you have to pay a processing fee.

One particular family's finances tell the story. In Medina, Ohio, the Dombis spent $75 on generic fees, nearly $120 on class materials, $263 so their kids could get AP classes, and nearly $4,000 to join track and the band.

Not to mention the more than $2,700 in yearly property taxes. Their total cost to send their kids to public school for a year was almost $7,000 -- for a public school education.

Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2011/06/01/high-cost-public-education/#ixzz1O6gIMVtU