Resident offers ideas on ways to cut school spending

As one of many beleaguered taxpayers, the article "Experts Discuss Ideas to Change Education Fund-ing" (Tri-Town News, Feb. 27) understandably caught my eye. Could this be the answer?

Unfortunately, the "experts" turn out to be a big part of the problem. All have some sort of vested interest in keeping a steadily escalating flow of money emanating from the udders of the taxpayer cash cow.

Only the remarks of one speaker, Ernest Reock of Rutgers University, hinted [no doubt unwittingly] at relief through consol­idation of the numerous tiny fiefdoms known as local school districts in order to fully leverage economies of scale and elim­inate costly duplication of administration and services.

A zero-based approach is long overdue. First of all, mandatory school attendance should be eliminated as should the onerous requirement that the public schools provide a one-size fits all education to all comers irrespective of desire, discipline, or apti­tude.

Let’s quit wasting money on students who don’t belong in our schools except at the mercy of legislative fiat, and focus re­sources appropriately on attendees who present a reasonable chance of some demonstrably successful outcome.

Second, all elective classes [including foreign languages and the arts] and all ex­tracurricular activities should be dropped and only reinstated selectively when the overall financial picture has resolved itself. While these sorts of offerings look nice in brochures, they are hardly essential while basic non-revisionist training in the English language, mathematics, U.S. his­tory and civics, physical and life sciences, vocational skills, home economics and physical education go lacking.

Finally, we should take back our schools by simply ignoring nonsensical but costly state and federal mandates. Clearly, the solution is not to be found by well-in­tentioned but clueless parents duped by "experts" and used as pawns to encourage even more money to be thrown down a hole in the name of "our kids."

After all, these same "experts" got us into the mess in which we find ourselves today. Otherwise, there would be no need for the wealthiest state to find itself lament­ing the poor results generated by its public educational system.

Maurice Baker

Freehold