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Comment by j_b_f | Hacker News Reader

Hawaii is already doing this: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/21/hawaii-schools-f...

It's been very problematic for parents who have to find childcare on Fridays -- it basically just shifts that cost back on to the taxpayer.

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That's how I was thinking as well.

So, would it make more sense (fiscally, not politically) to just impose or increase a tax to fund the 5th day--worked out to pretty much the same cost as people would have to pay for local childcare? Same fiscal burden, but much less social disruption.

The article sounds like the officials already realize that this is a horrible idea, though the tax payers won't do anything to prevent it. Even if it is the same overall price, its hidden in the fine print, and most people won't dig deep enough to find it.

Now if only the general masses were smarter they could figure this out for themselves. But how will we make the masses smarter if we are taking cuts to our education system...

"the tax payers won't do anything to prevent it"

So to you, that's the problem?

A math example:

Milwaukee Area school budget (2008) - $1.2B Total Enrolled Students: 82,739 Cost per student: $14,503

I can purchase on the open market private schooling in the Milwaukee area for around $6K for K-8 and $9K for high school.

For the record, my wife homeschools for no cost to the taxpayers but we still pay the taxes.

It also disproportionately shifts that cost onto single parent families and families where both parents work. Generally those tend to be poorer families.

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