Public schools harbor an array of issues, including excessive workloads, unhygienic bathrooms, and a lack of proper nutrition, which can have negative impacts on students’ health and academic performance. A major contributor to these issues is a lack of adequate funding for public schools.
Money Issues
According to the Century Foundation, public schools in the United States are underfunded by $150 billion annually. Public schools spend most of their budget on teacher salaries and benefits, as they are the most expensive elements of these schools, according to Find Law.
A national understaffing issue may lead to an increase in staffing costs. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), as of October 2024, 50% of public schools reported feeling that their school was understaffed, a 5% increase from August 2023.
The high staffing expenses can also lead to other essential school costs being neglected due to a lack of available funding.
Teach Magazine also reports that 48% of high schoolers at public schools report that their school restrooms are average, and 26% feel that the conditions are poor. Unsanitary restrooms lead many students to refuse to go to the bathroom, which can have adverse health effects, according to Ridgecrest Regional Hospital.
Ridgecrest Regional Hospital also shows that not drinking enough water can negatively impact health. This is an issue in public schools, as even though public schools do provide functional water fountains, most are unsanitary and, therefore, not frequently used by students.
According to the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the average percentage of students who drink water from school-provided water bottles was 14.1%, compared to 5.1% of students who drink from water fountains.
Another issue is that school lunches are often unappetizing for students. According to Feest, about one in every four students skip school lunch daily, and 73% of students say they would eat lunch more often if there were fresher items and more variety. However, gathering fresh ingredients is costly, and many schools don’t have the funds to supply proper lunches for their students.
A possible fix
A viable solution is to implement cleaner bathrooms, better lunches, and more sanitary sinks. Implementing these measures can also lead to better student performance and higher satisfaction with their schools. According to Nutrients, students who ate meals at school had better attendance, higher academic achievement, and improved health.
Focusing on these small details and diverting even a small sum of money to them would help students feel heard and benefit their experience and outcomes overall.
