Most people do not pay for K-12 education in the US (it's paid for via taxation as in Germany), they go to public schools. The OP is talking about typical public high schools from what I can tell. Definitely a different context from college.
But do you think it is in any way possible to collect money from parents in order to be able to provide an improvement in education? ... I have to say I as a parent wouldn't like it, but if the schools are simply not able to do it who else is left?