Beg, Borrow or Plead?

I don't know which is worse, the Federal Government bribing schools to participate or the local school begging for people to sign up for a free lunch. The January newsletter from Skyway Elementary included two items on why they need more families to sign up for the Free and Reduced Lunch program. The prominent letter from the principal explained that their Title I funding for the remedial reading program is tied to a minimum of 35% participation in the free lunch program. And to his horror, at 34%, Skyway is in danger of losing all those federal dollars for next year.

And since the second note in the newsletter informs us that as the largest federal assistance program for our schools, Title I is dedicated to a high quality education for every child. More money always means higher quality in the eyes of the government. But how tying that to free lunches ensures quality education is beyond me.

Unless Title I is just another form of welfare. Perhaps Coeur d'Alene is just too affluent. What we need is more poor people! And they need to make sure and sign up for the free lunch program. "Parental involvement is an important component of the Title I program" so make sure and sign up today.

Title I works, so don't risk "loosing our existing program".

Grammatical errors aside, this whole concept makes me sick enough to lose my lunch.