There has been more than one instance this year when I have asked myself, “Isn’t a public education supposed to be free?”
I mean, seriously, this past year my parents must have shelled out over $1000 for school expenses alone. School technology fee: $90, Senior Fees: $100, Bioscience Lab Fee: $100, Journalism Lab Fee: $45, Magic Mountain Field Trip: $30, AP Tests: $82 apiece (and I am taking three), College Application Fees: approximately $50 apiece (I am applying to nearly ten colleges), SAT and ACT tests: $40 per test, Cost to send scores to colleges: $12 each score, per school. While I understand that these fees are necessary, there must be more one can do to cut these costs. College is only a year away for me, as well as many other seniors, and every penny that can be saved, should be saved.
But, what I absolutely, positively cannot stand are the monopolies like Visual Photography, the official school photographer, and Jostens, the company in charge of class rings, graduation announcements, and caps and gowns, practically bullying VUSD seniors into buying their products. These companies, which are contracted with all VUSD high schools, have outrageous fees for their products, and, in most cases, there is no alternative to purchasing their products.
For example, this summer, most seniors took their senior photos at Visual Photography’s studio, located in Camarillo. First, there was no possible way to take these portraits locally- in order to have senior photos taken, one had to commute all the way out to Camarillo. On top of this, Visual Photography charges a “sitting fee”- this means that you must pay a fee just to walk in the door and have your photos taken, no prints included. The smallest “sitting fee” was for the smallest photo package- the total fee cost $21.65.
If a senior did not take this photo- which included a long commute to Camarillo, and paying a small fortune just to sit in a chair wearing fake formal attire- the said senior could not appear in the portrait section of the yearbook. Since VUSD has a contract with this company, any student who chose to take their photos with a different company could not have that photo appear in the yearbook.
Now, to add to that, in order to even get actual prints of these photos, one must shell out even more money. The smallest photo package, which includes minimal photographs, with the least possible quality and retouching, costs $192. If one chooses to make copies of their senior photos in order to cut costs, Visual Photography threatens to sue said person for $500 (this is boldly stated on the back of their brochures).
At the mandatory senior meeting, which occurred October 20th, the owner of Jostens spoke to the seniors and their parents about graduation packages. He informed all seniors that the graduation gowns would now be biodegradable, and that no other type of gown could be worn at graduation. The crowd, both students and their parents, erupted in fury, as many seniors like to borrow a gown from a sibling or friend in order to cut costs. The minimal cost for the graduation attire- cap, gown, tassel, and stole- is $50.
I understand that some fees for students are necessary. However, isn’t it supposed to be free to attend a public school? Why should I, or any other student, for that matter, have to spend over a thousand dollars in one year on high school expenses alone? With the fees students must pay for a “public” education, one could purchase an Apple computer, a flat screen television, or even a good quality, used car. I understand that there are budget cuts, but why must they also come at the students’ expense? What is fair about this?
