After talking about a new topic of systemic injustice, the one that has stuck to me the most was my second one. I talked about the difference between my school district with one of my friend’s school districts. I live in Hilliard and she lives in Columbus. To start Hilliard City Schools is a great school district, they have a lot of money and take care of their students. They have good teachers, provide counselors and we have AC and heat at all times. My friend attends Columbus City Schools and them, on the other hand, aren’t as privileged. My friend talked to me about how when it gets too hot and they have no running AC or on some days their school closed down because it was too cold and they didn’t have any heat running. In Hilliard our teachers are paid well, we have access to free tutors and we have a lot of extracurricular activities, basically, Hilliard gets a lot of funding. Columbus barely gets any funding and keep in mind their district is way bigger. Their classes are overcrowded and their teachers aren’t the best, they don’t even get paid well. My friend and I live really close to each other but when it comes to the way we live and the schools we once attended, it is the total opposite. After doing a little bit of research I found out that Hilliard gets $162.8 million in funding while Columbus gets $9.1 million. That is really mind-blowing to me. 77% of students attending Columbus schools are black, and about 17% in Hilliard. That says a lot, most kids in Hilliard are privileged, this goes to show how much the state cares about minorities. Minorities are given less chance to succeed in this country because they are not taken care of like others, they are overlooked, judged, and face racism because of their skin color. It is really heartbreaking that nothing has changed in this country after all these years. Columbus being a way bigger district should be getting more funding to help all of their students succeed, they should have access to tutors, clean schools, have running heat and AC, and a lot more.
Resources:
https://www.publicschoolreview.com/ohio/columbus-city-school-district/3904380-school-district
https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/state-releases-budget-cuts-for-k-12-and-higher-education-ccs-to-lose-91-million
https://www.publicschoolreview.com/ohio/hilliard-city-school-district/3904701-school-district
https://www.hilliardschools.org/pdf/HilliardPAFR19.pdf
Funding of city schools is a major systemic problem that is occurring in our country. This contributes to many other aspects of ones life in the long term that attend these schools. I am very glad you mentioned this injustice because it needs to be talked about more. Your personal experience brings the situation even more to a reality. The difference in funding is alarming. I am unsure how states determine this funding and what the exact steps are moving forward but something must be done.
I think your post is very relevant and really puts into perspective the obstacles that underprivileged students have to overcome every day. Students at Columbus City Schools oftentimes cannot afford school supplies and they experience more distractions than students in other areas. Due to the poor circumstances that these kids are in, many give up on trying as they think they have no chance to succeed in the future. They may introduce themselves to drugs and bad behaviors that threaten others, which can ruin their entire life. I can relate to you because I went to high school in New Albany, which is another suburb of Columbus. In New Albany, no one really had to worry about whether or not they had lunch money or a tutor available. Also, students complained about temperatures that were slightly hot or slightly cold whereas students at Columbus City Schools dealt with the extreme ends of this spectrum. It is frustrating to see some kids at my school take so many of our amenities for granted while other people were struggling, and I hope the gap between schools like these can shrink.
I found your post to be extremely insightful and captivating. In my opinion, this is a perfect example of a systemic injustice that so many Americans have faced. I went to a private high school in New Jersey, and we had a program that offered free tuition to students from from lower-income areas such as parts of Newark. Through talking to my friends who had came to my high school through the programs, they had all expressed that they would not of had anywhere near the amount of opportunities to succeed had they went to the public schools in the area. Learning that this is a problem that is faced in Columbus as well further showed me how common the systemic injustices related to education are. Great post!