How the American Economy and School System Have Become One in the Same

I was watching the Democratic National Convention this week and I noticed that of among many issues and hot topics being discussed, two of the most pressing were the depreciation of America's education system and the recession-plagued American economy. Before today, I thought they represented two completely different things; until I saw an article by Kirk Johnson on the New York Times website called, "School District Bets Future on Real Estate". (For the complete article, click the link above).

The town of Gervais, the topic of this editorial, is located in rural Oregon. What once was a town of farmer families, is now a 'commuter suburb' and has quadrupled in size in the last four years. Because of the financial recession, the town has been forced to cut corners; such as eliminating their arts and music programs and reducing staff size. The most drastic effort to cut costs was to, "put three of the five school buildings in the district — all six miles or more from town, on the market [for sale]." The district superintendent, Rick Hensel, claims that by offering some of the school property on sale for residential contractors or farmland, the town can make bank. Oh, and if it goes well, they plan to do it with more of their schools to the point where they can consolidate the district, K-12, into one (1!) school in the center of the town.

A school playground in Gervais, OR that is for sale
near an apple orchard via Jonathan House

In ideal circumstances, this would help the town regain some financial stability and restore some programs that were cut, but still, that is if EVERYTHING goes perfectly. I do not agree with this town's decision. Unfortunately, it is a clear example of how the almighty dollar has become more important comfortable learning environments. The American school system is already weak (U.S. children have consistently ranked low in global education studies and tests) and it needs all the help it can get. And if there is one thing in American society that is weaker than the public school system it's the uncertainty of the real estate market and the economy. The American school system should not rely on economy, and it will be shown after the doomed, unsuccessful result of the Gervais school sale.