Community and parent involvement really do make the biggest difference in schools . That I agree with 100% .
I also must say that money can be a big help . I live in rural WV and yes some of our schools are under funded and some that get the money do not put it to good use or as well of a use as what they could.

Our school has been getting new computers for three years now and we have yet to get them . We have now had a fourth grade teaching job done away with all together. Our school is under funded and they blame it on every financial thing under the sun from the price of gas to teachers pay. Even thought our Superintendent was able to spend twenty thousand dollars to redo her office that was just redone a few years back .

We do our best to fund what we can with PTO money but that can be very hard to do at times . We have other schools who sell and peddal the same as we do and it is hard for people to buy from every kid who hits the door step. This is an unrelated fact but we have thirtytwo thousand people unemployed in this state and that dose not count older people on a fixed income so money is tight . We are looking into donations from large companies who need the tax break to get us through the year.

I will admit we have a few parents who are in PTO power who like to waste alot of money that we make . Or are unable to comprehend that we need to make x amount off of a fund raiser to get this or that to help the kids .

So I see the waist and I have also seen parents pull kids from our school and move them to schools with the things we do not get and can not afford on our own .

I feel education is not as big a priority as it should be in this country and we as parents need to change that . We talk a good talk about no child left behind but a large amount of kids are left behind or fall through the cracks .
We as parents need to see that our kids schools are top notch with parent support, the proper use of money ,demanding our kids get all they need for a great education .

I agree, funding is not all answers to the quality schools, but "very" important.

Money helps and very effective in all districts that need quality teachers and administrators, science lab., music, Arts, or foreign language program and have a massive special education/ gifted students.

The fact is, money drives high income earners to pick and choose from many options the best school for their children and pay for expensive extra curriculum activities . Also, money influences a school district to pick and choose the best teachers and programs for their students and community.

I worked at low income and affluent school districts and I saw the power of almighty money in one school and devastation of inadequate money in another school.

Money gives schools, families, communities, and nations power of many choices. I think proper school funding should be a common sense policy for all schools in this super rich nation.

Parents and community make the bigger difference in our public schools. That's why it's important for parents to become involved in their kids' schools, join the Leadership Council at school, and help direct where the money gets spent - where it's needed, in the classrooms.

Theoretically the amount of money isn't the problem, because private and charter schools can do it with less. It's the getting it from warchests to the classroom that seems the biggest issue.

Teacher unions complain about bureaucracy, and certainly in a district with decreasing enrollment, we shouldn't need MORE layers of districts and offices. On the other hand, the teacher's union is often the number one reason that districts can't change.

The bottom line is this all has to start in the home with expectations and responsibility.

This is a generalized question that really consists of complex issues. It includes:
* Teacher compensation
* Quality of school (meaning facilities)
* Quality of educational opportunity and outcomes for students

The "general" answer is that, as a rule, education is not "underfunded" in this country. Yes, there are real cases where schools are not getting the money they need, but the true cases are fairly few.

The bigger problem is "underutilization." THere is ENORMOUS waste in our educational system, and it's affecting everything from teacher performance, to kids' learning opportunities, to safety.

One thing we should be asking ourselves it this more important question: "how relevant is school funding to STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT?"

And, the answer to that, sadly, is "not at all."

If you look at raw data (I have WA State at hand -- the supposedly "43rd" ranked stated in the nation when it comes to funding), you'll see that there is precious little difference, if any, between academic achievement in districts that allocate more money to education than those that can allocate less. NONE. That tells me several things including helping support the waste argument.

We spend more and more on education every year (check the REAL math in districts' budgets), and supplement continually via bonds, levies and "independent support", yet are kids are not doing appreciably better.

We have GOT to start doing better with the money we have, because in this economic climate thinking we can spend our way to improvements is a pipe dream.

Congrats kayrom1. You were able to defeat the bond monster. The $7 billion monster passed with flying colors here, so I predict even more politicizing of the school board as politicians grapple to get their hands on the construction budget and reward cronies with projects.

Just once, I'd like it to be about the kids.

An update for this morning -- Apparently the voters in our school district are willing to go sacreligious and defeated our enormous tax hike for the school district. The other top district passed virtually the same measure, so we'll see how much money makes a difference in the education of the kids around here.

I live in a high performing school district in an affluent town of well educated parents. Parents are very much involved in the school and with their children. Expectations and preassure to succeed is high.

That said, although our teachers do not command the highest salaries in the state, our class sizes are realitvely small. In grades K-2 class size is 17 or less. In 3-6 class size is 20 or less. In some cases, teachers co-teach with a special educator or with a para-professional - enhancing ratios further.

This costs money - salaries and space. I believe that class size, especially in the the early years, has a significant bearing on the quality of the education.

That said, I agree the community and the school leadership are also driving forces that cannot be ignored.

We're still living with Prop 13, and while each student is funded from the state equally, special money pours in for certain programs including Title I (free lunch program) and English Language Learners. These categorical funds allow schools to purchase resources (salaries, materials, and the like) that make them the envy of districts. Funny, though, you just don't see people flocking to Title I schools with large ELL populations.

As a parent in a small public elementary qualifying for neither program, I have to agree with the previous posters. Parent volunteers donating huge hours of time couldn't be purchased at any price. Expectations are high, and parents take responsibility for raising their kids.

ITA with Kayrom. Money doesn't make a school good, a community does.

Want a few examples? Washington DC has the highest per-pupil expenditures in the US and their schools are terrible. Meanwhile, the schools in the center of the country-- Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, and the Dakotas-- routinely have the highest test scores and they spend the least per pupil.

Our school district, and one nearby are the two top districts in the state. They both have the least amount of funding of all the districts in the Denver metropolitan area. We have the top teachers, and they flock to our schools to work here.

I don't think funding has as much to do with school success as the districts would like you to think they have, but the district is nonetheless crying poor on this election day and will pass a $395 million education referendum, because they say we're somehow falling behind the other districts. None of their numbers support their arguments, but people will vote for this boondoggle because to vote "against the children" is sacreligious.

I grew up in So. Calif. in the midst of the Proposition 13 years in the 1970s. Our school district was strangled, thanks to having virtually no sales tax income coming in (very few businesses and no industry in our town), but ours was one of the top districts in California because of the involvement of the community which was determined to keep our educations top-notch.

The PEOPLE supporting a school makes more difference in my mind than the MONEY supporting the school.