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School Money
Listen
to this Commentary!
Katie Soo
Intro: Those back-to-school expenses can start ringing up long before your offspring
heads off to college. In fact, as Youth Radio's Katie Soo tells us, she's spending
a lot of money to head back to the classroom...and she's only a junior in high
school.
Commentary:
People say public school is free. But it's not. Even at my school in the San
Francisco Bay Area - Alameda High - students are expected to pick up a lot of
the basics. And those basics add up ... Fast.
In my school, we now have to buy our own textbooks if we want to be in advanced
placement classes. Last year, my parents had to buy my chemistry book for a
whopping $300 dollars. Other students were so desperate to get their hands on
the pricey textbook, they stole mine by breaking into my locker. This year,
I'm a junior and I'm taking all honors courses. That means my parents get the
honor of spending well over a thousand dollars on a lot of expensive textbooks.
And then there's the little fussy things that you don't even think about, but
that really add up. Binders, paper, pencils, and back packs. That's at least
$70 dollars just to get ready for the first week of class.
And then there's the cost of being ahead of the curve when it comes to school
clothes. You can't just wear anything. I wouldn't last a day if I repeated my
clothing from last year because then I wouldn't be unique. Most of my friends
will spend at least $500 on their new fall wardrobe.
I can only imagine what the necessities of college will cost. And honestly speaking,
I can't say I'm looking forward to paying them, or juggling the part time jobs
I'll need to carry my share of the costs and get a diploma.
For Sound Money, I'm Katie Soo.
Back announce: Katie Soo comes to us from Youth Radio in Berkeley, California.
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