Argh!
Sorry, I need to get this off my chest before I explode.
So apparently my state or something (I'm not completely clear on the details of who passed the legislation, the county or the state) has passed a law stopping school districts from asking for millage increases as part of some plan to force the school districts to live within their means or some such bullshit.
Now, that's all well and good for the districts that are well off, or even just moderately well off, but from what I understand the school district my family lives in is one of the poorest in the state. So what does this mean for us? It means, among other things, that next year there won't be any morning busing. So, starting next fall, I get to get my by then 3 yr old twins up and dressed and in the fucking van by *6:55 a.m.* in order to take J, my 10 yr old, and K, my 16 yr old (he doesn't have a license yet, and probably won't by then either for a variety of reasons), to school. And it gets better. Their schools are 20 minutes away from each other, and the nearest one, the elementary school, is 15 minutes away from our house.
Oh, but the letter says there are shuttles to take the high school kids to the high school from the various elementary schools. Excuse me while I don't get on my knees and kiss their fucking feet. Especially considering that this means having to drop J off an hour before school begins, in order to get K there on time for the shuttle to leave. See, on top of everything, in all their brilliance, the school district has rearranged the times the schools start so that, get this, the high schoolers start 35 minutes earlier than the elementary.
How does this make any kind of sense? I don't understand how people who are supposed to be educated can't see that this makes the elementary students with older siblings school days *much* longer than necessary. Now, at the time I would have normally been getting J *up* for school, I have to get him, the twins and K out the door, so a) J has to get up a good half hour earlier than he does now, b) J's school starts half an hour later, meaning he's stuck at school for an entire hour before class even starts, and I still haven't figured out why this is happening, but c) instead of J's school getting out a half hour later, to make up for the half hour later start in the morning, he'll be getting out an *hour* later...but K's school, on the other hand, ends an hour *earlier*, even though he's only starting a half hour earlier, so he has a shorter day. Um...huh?
Let's review: J, who is younger, needs more sleep, and in general shouldn't be expected to have such a long day five days a week has to get up earlier and spend 8 1/2 hours a day at school (including the hour before school starts), vs. the 7 hrs he spends there now...7 1/2 if you include the time he spends on the bus in the morning. Meanwhile, K, who is older, needs less sleep and can handle a heavier schedule than a 10 yr old can, will be getting up about the same time he always has and will still have a 7 hour day. Again, I ask...huh? Is there something I'm missing? Does this make *any* sense?
I'm really not sure which is worse, the longer day for J, or the fact that I have to get the twins up (a good 2 1/2 hrs before they normally get up now) and drag them out five days a week to get K and J to school. I live in the middle of Michigan, by the way. Meaning, in the winter we get a lot of really cold weather and snow and ice storms. *Lots* of snow.
Oh, and did I mention the only form of transportation I have to get the kids to school in is a 14 yr old mini-van? But do you think anyone at the school board had an answer for what I should do should said van break down? My husband can't take them. He leaves here for work at 4:45 am, and has an hour commute, in the opposite direction the schools are in. So basically, if the van breaks down, me and the kids are screwed because we cannot by any stretch of the imagination afford to get it replaced, or hell, even fixed. We're constantly on the verge of losing our house and the car my husband drives to work, not to mention all the other bills we have to scramble to find a way to pay every month.
/rant
*takes a deep breath*
Anyway, for those of you who took the time to read this whole thing, thanks. I don't rant a lot on here, but hubby's not home to rant to about it, plus, he's having health problems right now so I'd rather not add to his stress by making a huge deal of it. I'm hoping by getting it off my chest here, I'll be calmer by the time he gets home. *crosses fingers and takes more deep breaths*
So apparently my state or something (I'm not completely clear on the details of who passed the legislation, the county or the state) has passed a law stopping school districts from asking for millage increases as part of some plan to force the school districts to live within their means or some such bullshit.
Now, that's all well and good for the districts that are well off, or even just moderately well off, but from what I understand the school district my family lives in is one of the poorest in the state. So what does this mean for us? It means, among other things, that next year there won't be any morning busing. So, starting next fall, I get to get my by then 3 yr old twins up and dressed and in the fucking van by *6:55 a.m.* in order to take J, my 10 yr old, and K, my 16 yr old (he doesn't have a license yet, and probably won't by then either for a variety of reasons), to school. And it gets better. Their schools are 20 minutes away from each other, and the nearest one, the elementary school, is 15 minutes away from our house.
Oh, but the letter says there are shuttles to take the high school kids to the high school from the various elementary schools. Excuse me while I don't get on my knees and kiss their fucking feet. Especially considering that this means having to drop J off an hour before school begins, in order to get K there on time for the shuttle to leave. See, on top of everything, in all their brilliance, the school district has rearranged the times the schools start so that, get this, the high schoolers start 35 minutes earlier than the elementary.
How does this make any kind of sense? I don't understand how people who are supposed to be educated can't see that this makes the elementary students with older siblings school days *much* longer than necessary. Now, at the time I would have normally been getting J *up* for school, I have to get him, the twins and K out the door, so a) J has to get up a good half hour earlier than he does now, b) J's school starts half an hour later, meaning he's stuck at school for an entire hour before class even starts, and I still haven't figured out why this is happening, but c) instead of J's school getting out a half hour later, to make up for the half hour later start in the morning, he'll be getting out an *hour* later...but K's school, on the other hand, ends an hour *earlier*, even though he's only starting a half hour earlier, so he has a shorter day. Um...huh?
Let's review: J, who is younger, needs more sleep, and in general shouldn't be expected to have such a long day five days a week has to get up earlier and spend 8 1/2 hours a day at school (including the hour before school starts), vs. the 7 hrs he spends there now...7 1/2 if you include the time he spends on the bus in the morning. Meanwhile, K, who is older, needs less sleep and can handle a heavier schedule than a 10 yr old can, will be getting up about the same time he always has and will still have a 7 hour day. Again, I ask...huh? Is there something I'm missing? Does this make *any* sense?
I'm really not sure which is worse, the longer day for J, or the fact that I have to get the twins up (a good 2 1/2 hrs before they normally get up now) and drag them out five days a week to get K and J to school. I live in the middle of Michigan, by the way. Meaning, in the winter we get a lot of really cold weather and snow and ice storms. *Lots* of snow.
Oh, and did I mention the only form of transportation I have to get the kids to school in is a 14 yr old mini-van? But do you think anyone at the school board had an answer for what I should do should said van break down? My husband can't take them. He leaves here for work at 4:45 am, and has an hour commute, in the opposite direction the schools are in. So basically, if the van breaks down, me and the kids are screwed because we cannot by any stretch of the imagination afford to get it replaced, or hell, even fixed. We're constantly on the verge of losing our house and the car my husband drives to work, not to mention all the other bills we have to scramble to find a way to pay every month.
/rant
*takes a deep breath*
Anyway, for those of you who took the time to read this whole thing, thanks. I don't rant a lot on here, but hubby's not home to rant to about it, plus, he's having health problems right now so I'd rather not add to his stress by making a huge deal of it. I'm hoping by getting it off my chest here, I'll be calmer by the time he gets home. *crosses fingers and takes more deep breaths*