DIEGO PACHECO
Dear School Board Members,
Imagine yourself in your favorite place, doing your favorite thing, with your friends and family during summer vacation, but with the 25 days added, you lose some of that time. Instead of waking up and going on a trip, you're packing your backpack to rush to the bus. Twenty-five extra days of school may benefit some young people, but most are ready for the next grade level and have worked hard throughout the year and do not need the typical school everyday. If you're using 25 extra days of Math, Science, and ELA, you're taking time away from other learning activities like Cooking and Life Skills. Not every school has a life skill’s class and they certainly don’t have kitchens in the classrooms. Even if they decided to install kitchens, where would they get that money?
Speaking about money, a lot of money is used every school year. On average, $13,550 is used per pupil in one elementary school year. If we increase the number of days the students are at school, then the numbers go up. Maintenance bills, supplies, and now cleaning utensils are going to really drain down the district's money. Where would we get this money to pay for all of t hese essentials? Money would then become a problem for the school districts.
Now let's focus on the poorer states. If the money goes up, then that state will become poorer and poorer. Soon, that state will start losing money and won’t be able to use that money for objects other than education. Even though we have funding for this year, what about next year, and the year after that, and so on? Money would then need to be earned through a lot more fundraisers. Think about all the money we are spending that does not need to be spent on students who are already doing well. Think of us, young people and our mental health. How is this healthy for us? We all need breaks to rejuvenate.
I think that the 25 extra days should be mandatory for those who need it. It should be mandatory for below grade students, those with special needs, and for those just struggling with school. If we were to do the 25 days, a lot of parentswould probably start to homeschool their kids. Schools would lose students, and homeschooling is harder than sending kids on the bus.
I, as a student, would not like to go to school an extra 25 days. I like to spend my summer on the road and with my family, not in school. During summer, I learn valuable lessons such as carving, life skills, and trust. I spend 180 days in school, and 185 on breaks. Now, I'd spend 205 days in school and 160 days on break. That is a huge change! If you were a kid, would you like to spend most of your cooldown time in school getting more stressed with assignments? I know I wouldn’t! I would like to spend my one childhood time hanging out with my friends instead spending a third of my usual summer writing essays and dividing fractions.
You're only a child once, so make it a good one!
Thank you School Board members for your time
Respectfully,
Diego M. Pacheco
Barranca Mesa Elementary School
6th Grade
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