The annual price tag on sending a student to MLWGS is approximately $11,000. While this sum may seem costly, it pales in comparison to most other education options.
The annual per student cost for Richmond City Public Schools is $12,000. In Washington D.C., the cost is $13,500. And so far, we are just looking at public secondary education costs. When compared to private school tuition, MLWGS per student cost is just pocket change!
St. Christopher's School, a private K-12 institution in Richmond’s West End, is considered by some local education experts as the region’s second best high school, behind MLWGS. At St. Chris, parents pay an annual tuition fee of $19,000.
Not to mention the sky-high tuition of higher education, huge costs that many seniors are quickly becoming aware of! At some universities, tuition + room + board + books = $50,000 or so annually – approximately the same amount required to send five students to MLWGS!
Returning to the subject of MLWGS price tag, it is quite interesting to break down this $11,000 figure. This year, the state paid about $7,200, more than half the cost per student.
Yet as we are all well-aware, the U.S. is now officially experiencing a recession. Federal, state, and local budgets are being led to the slaughter. All “non-essential” services are at risk of being down-sized or scrapped entirely! Unfortunately for MLWGS, gifted education is often classified as a “non-essential” educational program.
In two weeks, a new, drastically reduced Virginia budget will be presented to the General Assembly. According to some state officials, funding for K-12 education, especially for gifted programs, may likely be reduced.
MLWGS funding may be slashed, or might even dry up completely. This could result in lower teacher salaries, a smaller faculty, larger class sizes and no extra-curricular activity funds.
Recently, a smoke and scales school-wide e-mail alerted students and parents of the dire situation. The message suggested that members of the MLWGS community contact the Office of the Governor at www.governor.virginia.gov, to demand that our funding be preserved. In your e-mail, letter, or phone call, explain why you think the state should continue to fund our school.
If asked “why support MLWGS?” The answer is simple. We are a community of hardworking, high-achieving students and faculty from 11 different cities and counties across the Metro Richmond region. Even that hackneyed, five-year-old quote from former Governor Warner, which is so prominently displayed on our school website attests to this fact.
“The Commonwealth of Virginia stands to benefit immensely from the future leadership capabilities of the alumni of our governor’s schools,” said Warner. His words, forever immortalized on our homepage, clearly explain why the state has invested so much in MLWGS over the years, and why this investment should be continued
So be sure to send a letter, e-mail, or just pick up the phone. The future of MLWGS is at risk, and the only way to keep our funding is by taking action now!
No comments:
Post a Comment