Waste In Public Schools

There is a program in the Richardson ISD here in Texas to buy kitchen sets for Kindergarten classrooms. The sets are about $500 each. However, Kindergarten students are not allowed to play during school time. If they use the kitchen set, that is considered playing. The teachers, however, cannot get rid off the kitchen sets because they were bought through the aforementioned program.

It is illegal to get rid of the kitchen set, but it is also illegal to let the students use the kitchen set. So it sits in the room, unused. Worse, it teases the children by its presence, since they can never use it -- though of course the teacher isn't likely to tell them they can never use it.

There are over 40 elementary schools in RISD. My wife's school has 4 Kindergarten classes. That's about 160 Kindergarten classes. That's at least $80,000 for something it is illegal for students to use being in the classroom, whether teachers or principals want it or not. So don't tell me that the problem with the public schools is that they need more money.