Alicia Huff
Shaver
Computer Apps U. 1 October 1, 2014
Education Budget Cuts in United States

Throughout the United States the nation’s public school system is being savagely attacked by budget cuts that will reduce the potential of American students. In 2011 until now children have noticed a change in their public schooling. They are seeing higher requirements for free breakfast, no field trips, and fewer opportunities for extracurricular activities to participate in. Although these changes may seem small for some it is making a big impact on our student’s achievements.
The school breakfast program allows children in the United States to get a nutritious breakfast at school each day, cost free. It is federally funded by the government through per-meal reimbursement. It was first established by congress in 1966 then eventually went downhill with the economy in the late 2000s. As money gets tighter the more federal funding gets cut out. Requirements become higher and students become hungrier which means academic scores also decrease. CNN reports conclude that students who eat school breakfast increase their math and reading scores as well as improve their speed and memory in cognitive tests. Research also shows that children who eat breakfast at school – closer to class and test-taking time – perform better on standardized tests than those who skip breakfast or eat breakfast at home. So what happens when this opportunity is taken from these children? They will suffer physically and mentally. So how do avoid cutting free breakfast for all students? We need to get more private sponsors involved with our schools to save the hot breakfast program. We need a tax break for our private sponsors that way our sponsors are also getting something out of it. With the budget cuts field trips have also slowly faded away for students. Field trips give a wide variety of opportunities. Going outside of the classroom and into public offers a chance of social interactions with others and a chance to perform proper public behavior. They are able to explore different occupations and see things from all different views while being away from a desk. Children have short attention spans so they need that hands on experience.
Without field trips they no longer get that opportunity. They will lack real life experiences by not getting that chance to go on field trips once in a while. The public needs to be aware of what their students are lacking and communicate among one another. More