There has been much controversy in the topic of public schools being labeled as free even though there are extra fees for almost every extra-curricular activity. Any sport, drama group or music class involves a payment from all students for things such as instruments, play sets and costumes or uniforms.

Parents already pay property taxes to pay for public schooling, and now there are even more expenses involved when their child wants to be a part of a school activity. Many feel that if a school is labeled public and free, then all aspects of it should be free.

“Your basic public education is still free, but anything considered ‘extra’ will have an extra fee,” said principal Sandi Brandl. She believes that as long as the basic classes such as math, English, science and history are provided for free, then the school is still considered a free, public school.

Recently Lewis-Palmer High School’s expenses have been tight due to extreme budget cuts. Perhaps the state funding should be held accountable. “It’s just not the same as it used to be,” said bookkeeper Genny Olson.

“The district has cut 20% of the district budget and about 5-15% every year at the building level,” said Brandl. Every year the schools budget is cut by 5-15% meaning it is consistently going down at an annual rate, also the district budget has been cut a total of 20% which includes all of the District 38 school facilities.

Parents are a huge support system for LPHS, and due to the smaller funds given from the state, the parents are now responsible for a property tax and the extra-curricular fees if their children wish to be involved. With the increasing budget cuts, Lewis-Palmer just doesn’t have the means to be buying new uniforms or instruments for every student.  The parents’ involvement is crucial for the extra-curricular courses to continue.

“A public school should be free and funded by the government,” said Olson. In terms of the economy things are leveling off, but at the state level things are still going up, such as health care. While this may be true, the Colorado state is still not providing enough funding for public schooling.

While some think that the extra fees are unfair, there are still others who believe that as long as your basic public education is given for free, the school is still considered a free facility.