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WAIT! You have to pay for public school? I'm confused, isn't it free and paid for by your taxes?


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Oh my gosh don't get me started on this. I think this is just a Chicago thing, not an American thing. The Chicago Public School system has decided that yes, we have to pay for public school. They name it "School fee" and say it's for some very specific list of things that makes it legal to charge (believe me, when we first moved here my first thought was "Is that even legal? Isn't public school free???" :eek: ) And you can apply for a waiver if you want to submit a million forms to verify that you are poor.

So to answer your question:
1. Yes it is paid for by our taxes
2. Yes, it is supposed to be free, and everywhere else I've lived it's been technically "free" - you just put your kids on that yellow-orange bus in the morning and off they go, no money involved.
3. Chicago is like its own planet.
We don't have school buses. Some of the schools contract with private bus companies, but transportation is not provided by the city. For my daughters' schools they are responsible for getting there. For the short time my older one went to public school here, she rode the city bus and the train to school. I walk or drive the younger one to school (or she can also take the city bus). It's not free, but students get a discounted pass. For my older daughter, getting her to/from school was $10/week (doesn't seem like much, but $40/month adds up quick!)
Each school in Chicago charges a school fee. For elementary schools (Kindergarten thru 8th grade) this can range from $75/year to $300/year. This year because of all the budget cuts, most of the ones I know of are in the $300 range. My daughter's school is $300 for this year. High schools (9th-12th grade) are $500-700. I really can't tell you what the fee covers exactly, but I know this year my daughter's school added $150 for kindergarten (so it's $450...to go to kindergarten... :eek: ) because they are giving them iPads to use. :confused: Yes, seriously. Most whacked out set of priorities I've ever seen.

On average, with fees and transportation, it costs me about $500-$1000 per year, per child to send them to public school here. Not counting supplies, field trips, etc.

***On a happy note, with the older one not in school here and not cheering allstar anymore...college, sororities, college cheer are nothing to me! It's practically LESS money. :cheering:
 
Some of the schools by me in Westchester/Putnam/Dutchess Counties (New York) have "pay to play." So each season that you are on a sport you have a fee (and yes, for each sport). I want to say I have heard that some are around $500 a season.
 
Oh my gosh don't get me started on this. I think this is just a Chicago thing, not an American thing. The Chicago Public School system has decided that yes, we have to pay for public school. They name it "School fee" and say it's for some very specific list of things that makes it legal to charge (believe me, when we first moved here my first thought was "Is that even legal? Isn't public school free???" :eek: ) And you can apply for a waiver if you want to submit a million forms to verify that you are poor.

So to answer your question:
1. Yes it is paid for by our taxes
2. Yes, it is supposed to be free, and everywhere else I've lived it's been technically "free" - you just put your kids on that yellow-orange bus in the morning and off they go, no money involved.
3. Chicago is like its own planet.
We don't have school buses. Some of the schools contract with private bus companies, but transportation is not provided by the city. For my daughters' schools they are responsible for getting there. For the short time my older one went to public school here, she rode the city bus and the train to school. I walk or drive the younger one to school (or she can also take the city bus). It's not free, but students get a discounted pass. For my older daughter, getting her to/from school was $10/week (doesn't seem like much, but $40/month adds up quick!)
Each school in Chicago charges a school fee. For elementary schools (Kindergarten thru 8th grade) this can range from $75/year to $300/year. This year because of all the budget cuts, most of the ones I know of are in the $300 range. My daughter's school is $300 for this year. High schools (9th-12th grade) are $500-700. I really can't tell you what the fee covers exactly, but I know this year my daughter's school added $150 for kindergarten (so it's $450...to go to kindergarten... :eek: ) because they are giving them iPads to use. :confused: Yes, seriously. Most whacked out set of priorities I've ever seen.

On average, with fees and transportation, it costs me about $500-$1000 per year, per child to send them to public school here. Not counting supplies, field trips, etc.

***On a happy note, with the older one not in school here and not cheering allstar anymore...college, sororities, college cheer are nothing to me! It's practically LESS money. :cheering:
Ok, this is whack. I see on facebook all my American friends going out and buying classroom supplies from a list given out by the schools. I see my American teacher friends going out and spending $100s on supplies just so they can teach. And now you're saying you have to pay for your kids to go to school!?! What the what!

I'm a teacher, and yes I buy some supplies, but these are generally ones that i will keep myself and reuse year after year (choir music, flash cards etc). I get a departmental budget to cover the cost of textbooks, exercise books, stationary, photocopying etc, admittedly it is not enough, but you prioritise. Not all schools here have school busses, some do. But children get reduced rate fares during term time and can also buy weekly/monthly passes which are cheaper again. Back in 1990 it cost me £1 a week for the bus, no idea what it is now LOL.

What happens if you can't afford it and just don't pay? Are your kids barred entry to the school? I'm struggling to understand how they can get away with this, Chicago is not a rich area (well parts of it are) but you read about the school closings to save money all the time. It just boggles my mind!
 
Ok, this is whack. I see on facebook all my American friends going out and buying classroom supplies from a list given out by the schools. I see my American teacher friends going out and spending $100s on supplies just so they can teach. And now you're saying you have to pay for your kids to go to school!?! What the what!

I'm a teacher, and yes I buy some supplies, but these are generally ones that i will keep myself and reuse year after year (choir music, flash cards etc). I get a departmental budget to cover the cost of textbooks, exercise books, stationary, photocopying etc, admittedly it is not enough, but you prioritise. Not all schools here have school busses, some do. But children get reduced rate fares during term time and can also buy weekly/monthly passes which are cheaper again. Back in 1990 it cost me £1 a week for the bus, no idea what it is now LOL.

What happens if you can't afford it and just don't pay? Are your kids barred entry to the school? I'm struggling to understand how they can get away with this, Chicago is not a rich area (well parts of it are) but you read about the school closings to save money all the time. It just boggles my mind!

(Sorry everyone we are temporarily hijacking this thread...)

If you really can't pay and you can provide documentation to prove it, they will waive the fee or let you pay it in installments. If you just refuse to pay it, they will still let your child attend school. However they will not give out any report cards or release transcripts to any colleges or jobs until you settle up. It's absolute garbage, but most of us pay it rather than fight it, because refusing to pay it only hurts the schools, and they are already broke. They people making us pay the fee (school board, city of Chicago) couldn't care less if we actually pay it because it doesn't go to them. And they cut the budgets so much that the schools desperately need it.

I home schooled my older daughter because the schools in Chicago are the worst I've ever seen. They're a joke in every aspect. My younger daughter is fortunate enough to have been accepted into a gifted school and it is run very differently from the rest of the city schools. Financially it is also a disaster, but at least in her case we're getting something back out of it (a good education). Her selection of high schools to choose from will also be drastically different from what 99% of kids in Chicago have to choose from.

I really don't know how the powers-that-be here sleep at night. :(
 
SO wishing I rushed! Next year for sure! Thinking about one of the multicultural ones (
Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha Inc. aka SIA), Tri-Delta, Chi-Omega, or Kappa Delta...
Is there a huge difference for...hm, what's the pc way to say it...nvm, I'm never pc...black sororities? They seem very different. I don't know what she is actually going to do, but her aunt is zeta phi beta. Just wondering how different the process is. (This question isn't just directed at you, really anyone who would know)

ETA my family was all KD, so that's the only thing I know anything at all about.
Forever loyal to the green and white ;):D
 
Is there a huge difference for...hm, what's the pc way to say it...nvm, I'm never pc...black sororities? They seem very different. I don't know what she is actually going to do, but her aunt is zeta phi beta. Just wondering how different the process is. (This question isn't just directed at you, really anyone who would know)

ETA my family was all KD, so that's the only thing I know anything at all about.


My mother is a Delta (Delta Sigma Theta)...was president of her sorority at Carolina and my father is a Que (omega psi phi). However joining a sorority wasn't pushed on myself on my sisters (however Delta would have been our only option) so I don't know much about the pledging process (there is no rush). I do know they have a GPA and number of hours requirement before joining
 
(Sorry everyone we are temporarily hijacking this thread...)

If you really can't pay and you can provide documentation to prove it, they will waive the fee or let you pay it in installments. If you just refuse to pay it, they will still let your child attend school. However they will not give out any report cards or release transcripts to any colleges or jobs until you settle up. It's absolute garbage, but most of us pay it rather than fight it, because refusing to pay it only hurts the schools, and they are already broke. They people making us pay the fee (school board, city of Chicago) couldn't care less if we actually pay it because it doesn't go to them. And they cut the budgets so much that the schools desperately need it.

I home schooled my older daughter because the schools in Chicago are the worst I've ever seen. They're a joke in every aspect. My younger daughter is fortunate enough to have been accepted into a gifted school and it is run very differently from the rest of the city schools. Financially it is also a disaster, but at least in her case we're getting something back out of it (a good education). Her selection of high schools to choose from will also be drastically different from what 99% of kids in Chicago have to choose from.

I really don't know how the powers-that-be here sleep at night. :(
Gifted school :O lucky lucky. In elementary we went to the gifted center once a week and did different classes about like odd topics (photography, chemistry, fairy tales, bugs, dr suess, world culture).... In MS we had the gifted program one hour every other day... And it was in place of study hall. And in HS the closest you can get to being challenged/with other gifted kids is AP/Honors courses... Which have no requirements and anyone can sign up for. SO frustrating. Gifted program was awesome and then as soon as you graduate 5th grade it's pretty much nothing.


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The pledge semester is always the most expensive (you have to buy the badge, which is always a gorgeous piece). I have no idea what dues are now, but I think mine were approx $125/semester (I could be making that up though, it's been a long time since I paid dues). Dues my pledge semester were approx $300 with the cost of the badge.
That sounds glorious. My dues first semester were close to $900, and about $500-$700 every semester after that. Plus a meal plan tacked on. But we had a giant house we had to help pay the bills for every year along with a full time cooking/cleaning staff and a house mom, and the meal plan fed us for the entire semester so we saved money on groceries and whatnot.

Also, the Homecoming Step Show was one of the best events of the school year! So fun!

I also wanted to share this video of Sorority Bid Day here at South Carolina
 
That sounds glorious. My dues first semester were close to $900, and about $500-$700 every semester after that. Plus a meal plan tacked on. But we had a giant house we had to help pay the bills for every year.
That was 14 years ago :eek: so I could be off on my numbers, but for some reason they seem close. We also didn't have an on campus house. My school didn't allow them, so none of the houses were nationally recognized. That cut down our dues by a lot. The girls that lived in the house paid the utilites, rent ect. We had house dues, that were separate, and went to pay for things everyone used at the house (like tp and stuff).
 
Also, I can't pretend to know too much about the NPHC intake process (I do know it's called "intake" and not "rush) but I do know some general things. At USC they have an orientation meeting for those interested. Then you meet with some of the groups you were interested in joining on your own time. Some of them post things on campus about when their meetings are held, some you just hear about by word of mouth/invite. It's a very "secretive" process. Once you get a bid you don't tell people who you are pledging until after you are initiated. After that each chapter has a probate when they reveal their "line" aka pledge class for that semester. Probates are pretty cool and done in a number of different ways. I've attended some. Most of the fraternities do some form of step show and the sororities put together a stroll to reveal their lines.

It's also more common to join NPHC chapters at all different points of your college career rather than just your first or second semester. Sometimes you can even pledge after graduation.
 
Day here at South Carolina

What exactly is going on in the video? All I know about sororities is that my cousin is a DZ. We only have one at my school and maybe one frat so it's not really a big deal, I wish we had more tho, seems so fun!


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What exactly is going on in the video? All I know about sororities is that my cousin is a DZ. We only have one at my school and maybe one frat so it's not really a big deal, I wish we had more tho, seems so fun!


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I should have explained more, haha. It does look a little weird if you don't know what's going on!

It all takes place on the Horseshoe, which is the central part of campus that dates back to the pre-Civil war era. The girls sitting down in front are the PNMs (potential new members, aka the girls rushing). The girls in the dark blue jerseys with pink lettering are Pi Chis. They are sorority members who disaffiliate from their chapters in the spring to help lead PNMs through the recruitment process. They have a Pi Chi partner and a group of 15 to 20 PNMs assigned to them. They basically serve as mentors and answer any questions the girls have, all while remaining completely impartial since they are unaffiliated and cannot have any communication with their chapters. On bid day the Pi Chis all line up and do each sorority's cheer, and as their own chapters cheer is performed they take off their Pi Chi jerseys to reveal what chapter they belong to.

After that they hand each member of their group of PNMs their their bid cards and shirts. Most choose to do it like you see in the video, with the girls facing away from them and they place the bid day shirt of their new chapter in their hands behind their backs. Then all the girls turn around, unfold their shirts and see what chapter they received a bid from. They put on their shirt and run across the Horseshoe into the waiting arms of their new chapters. The Pi Chis also run to their chapters and can officially re-affiliate at that point.
 
I should have explained more, haha. It does look a little weird if you don't know what's going on!

It all takes place on the Horseshoe, which is the central part of campus that dates back to the pre-Civil war era. The girls sitting down in front are the PNMs (potential new members, aka the girls rushing). The girls in the dark blue jerseys with pink lettering are Pi Chis. They are sorority members who disaffiliate from their chapters in the spring to help lead PNMs through the recruitment process. They have a Pi Chi partner and a group of 15 to 20 PNMs assigned to them. They basically serve as mentors and answer any questions the girls have, all while remaining completely impartial since they are unaffiliated and cannot have any communication with their chapters. On bid day the Pi Chis all line up and do each sorority's cheer, and as their own chapters cheer is performed they take off their Pi Chi jerseys to reveal what chapter they belong to.

After that they hand each member of their group of PNMs their their bid cards and shirts. Most choose to do it like you see in the video, with the girls facing away from them and they place the bid day shirt of their new chapter in their hands behind their backs. Then all the girls turn around, unfold their shirts and see what chapter they received a bid from. They put on their shirt and run across the Horseshoe into the waiting arms of their new chapters. The Pi Chis also run to their chapters and can officially re-affiliate at that point.
Thank you so much for explaining that!


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WAIT! You have to pay for public school? I'm confused, isn't it free and paid for by your taxes?


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Umm wait you don't pay for public school normally in America?? That is crazy to me. If only Australia was like that! And we certainly don't have free buses that pick everyone up! You have to pay for a bus pass yearly or if there isn't a school bus that comes through your area you need to find a way to a public bus or train that again you have to pay for. At least where I live and everywhere I know of anyway :(
 
Umm wait you don't pay for public school normally in America?? That is crazy to me. If only Australia was like that! And we certainly don't have free buses that pick everyone up! You have to pay for a bus pass yearly or if there isn't a school bus that comes through your area you need to find a way to a public bus or train that again you have to pay for. At least where I live and everywhere I know of anyway :(
In America, public high school is mainly free except for class dues (to pay for homecoming/prom and a t-shirt), a parking pass (if you're a junior or senior), and lunch money. Busses are free. Plus there's random things you pay for depending on the clubs you're in. Yearbooks cost money too ($80-$150). Otherwise it's pretty much free
 
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