豆知识 2010-03-07&03-13 美国学校经济来源及支出情

 Have you ever wondered what makes a community strong? Why is it that some communities thrive¹ and other struggle?

 

Well, there are lots of reasons. Think of hospitals. If your community has good doctors and health care, your community may be healthier. Having residents² like you and your friends who work for change also helps your community get stronger. The same is true for schools. Good schools make strong communities. Almost everyone in the community goes through the school system. You know the value of a good education. Without it, it’s hard to go to college, get a decent³ job, support a family and make ends meet.

 

There are a lot of ways California schools could be better. One opportunity is to make sure all schools get enough money to do their job. For instance⁴, did you know that 33 states spend more on each student than California? And in almost every other state, teachers teach fewer students and each student can get more attention. Maybe that’s one reason why California students don’t perform as well as those in almost every other state.

 

Why is this? Who decides how much money your school gets and how those funds⁵ are spent? To understand this, let’s look at where schools get their money.

 

Most of the money, about 80% comes from the state through the taxes it collects from residents and businesses. These are taxes on things you buy called sales tax, on wages you earn called income tax and on buildings and land called property tax. The rest comes from the US government and things like the lottery⁶ and fundraisers. The amount of money your school gets is linked to the number of students. More students equals more funding. It’s also linked to attendance⁷. When students are absent a lot, the school gets less money.

 

Next let’s look at where the money goes. About 2/3 of the money your school gets pays for the basics, and is called general revenue⁸ funds. These pay for teachers' and principal's salaries, books, computers and supplies. These funds also pay to keep your building clean and in good shape. The rest of the money your school gets is called categorical funds. This money can only be spent on specific things.

 

The state and US governments make those decisions. This means that schools don’t have a choice. If the government decides the money must be spent to reduce class size, the money can’t be used for anything else. The specific needs of the school or community don’t matter. Now that we know where money comes from and where it goes, let’s look at why California schools have so much less money than schools in other states.

1 thrive   

v.兴旺，繁荣，茁壮成长

参考例句：

• These animals thrive on the leaves of certain trees.这些动物靠吃某些树的叶子长壮。
• This flowering plant will thrive and bloom wherever you plant it.这种花随便你种在哪儿都能活。

2 residents   

n.居民( resident的名词复数 )；（旅馆的）住宿者

参考例句：

• Plans to build a new mall were deep-sixed after protests from local residents. 修建新室内购物中心的计划由于当地居民反对而搁浅。
• Local residents have reacted angrily to the news. 当地居民对这一消息表示愤怒。

3 decent   

adj.象样的，不错的，体面的，正派的，恰当的

参考例句：

• We want to raise our children to be decent men and women.我们盼望把孩子们培养成优秀人才。
• There isn't even a decent table in this room.这屋里连张像样的桌子也没有。

4 instance   

n.例，例证，实例

参考例句：

• Can you quote me a recent instance?你能给我举一个最近的例子吗？
• He's a greedy boy,yesterday,for instance,he ate all our biscuits!他是个贪吃的孩子――比如，他昨天把我们的饼干都吃了！

5 funds   

n.pl.资金

参考例句：

• He absconded with the company funds. 他卷走公司的资金潜逃了。
• They held a harambee meeting to raise funds for a new classroom. 他们为筹款建新教室而办了个募捐会。

6 lottery   

n.抽彩；碰运气的事，难于算计的事

参考例句：

• He won no less than ￡5000 in the lottery.他居然中了5000英镑的奖券。
• They thought themselves lucky in the lottery of life.他们认为自己是变幻莫测的人生中的幸运者。

7 attendance   

n.出席，出席人数，护理，照料

参考例句：

• The attendance of this class never dropped off.这个班的出席人数从未下降。
• The young man danced attendance on his rich aunt.这个年轻人小心侍候他有钱的姑妈。

8 revenue   

n.总收入，财政收入，税收；税务局

参考例句：

• The country diminished the revenue by reducing tax.这个国家通过减税而使税收减少了。
• A government's revenue and expenditure should be balanced.政府的财政收入和支出要平衡。