Los Angeles Unveils $578 Million Public School

An anonymous reader writes with this excerpt from an Associated Press report on next month's opening of the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools in Los Angeles: "With an eye-popping price tag of $578 million, it will mark the inauguration of the nation's most expensive public school ever. The K-12 complex to house 4,200 students has raised eyebrows across the country as the creme de la creme of 'Taj Mahal' schools, $100 million-plus campuses boasting both architectural panache and deluxe amenities. ... At RFK, the features include fine art murals and a marble memorial depicting the complex's namesake, a manicured public park, and a state-of-the-art swimming pool. 'There's no more of the old, windowless cinderblock schools of the '70s where kids felt, "Oh, back to jail,"' said Joe Agron, editor-in-chief of American School & University, a school construction journal. 'Districts want a showpiece for the community, a really impressive environment for learning.' ... Critics note that nearly 3,000 teachers have been laid off over the past two years, the academic year and programs have been slashed, the district faces a $640 million shortfall and some schools persistently rank among the nation's lowest performing."

Comments

Re:Does It Have

[socceroos]

Mosque you bring that up again? I'm getting jolly sick of this, sunni.

Re:Hey big spender!

[RightSaidFred99]

California simply understands the "fact" that government money is both free and endless. What's the worst that could happen, a few people don't get voted in for spending too much money? Meh, they'll just go on to bigger and better things.

Re:Good, but

[WrongSizeGlass]

They need to teach the kids how to pray for more money for their school system ...

Re:it's all about accountability

[dbIII]

the usa will fall in this world while other countries with a better grasp on how serious education is will rise

What do you mean will? It's been happening for at least fifteen years.
Texas used to be the low tax state and decided sacrificing decent education was a good trade off. Others followed the lead and now the previously poor standards in Texas are better than far worse in other places. Reagan lowered the bar even furthur over the entire nation, and now people that "lurned ta wread under Raygun" are in positions of responsibility but ill equipt to perform them.
The only thing saving the US education system at the top end now is that it still has a very high quality of postgraduate education, but that has been hurt badly by restricitons on foreign students in recent years.

Re:it's all about accountability

[grasshoppa]

You really think that's what goes on now?

Hint; there are easier ways to influence elections than the rather crass methods of direct vote manipulations.

See, the cool thing about the grunts is that they are extremely easy to manipulate. Or haven't you noticed that we haven't had a "working class hero" for a leader in modern history?