For many students, one of the most cherished memories from their high school years was their experience at Governor’s School. There may be no other state program that provides so much benefit for so little cost. A program this unique cannot be the victim of blanket cuts. A more creative solution is called for.
Times are tough for all programs. But cutting costs requires creative consideration of what might be compromised.
Governor’s School costs less than a million dollars — less than one four-thousandth of the budget gap. Compare that to Alcohol Law Enforcement, whose budget is nearly $11.5 million. You tell us which program serves a greater social purpose.
The benefits far outweigh the cost. Governor’s School charges $500 per student, which school districts can help cover. For most of its history, though, it has been entirely free.
Some might point to a program that only takes a small group of the best and brightest and say that state money shouldn’t support narrowly tailored interests. This thinking betrays just how egalitarian Governor’s School is.
Governor’s School has stood out for most of its history as a shining example of a pure meritocracy. There will never be another time in a participant’s life when academic prowess is the only barrier to entry. That quality and the diversity it fosters are why Governor’s School is such a unique and enriching experience — in many ways even more so than college.
The current cost of Governor’s School already threatens this. Raising cost further threatens the unique quality that makes the program worthwhile. And cutting the program entirely would trade off a drop in the budget bucket for precluding future students from participating in one of the nation’s best summer programs.
Combining campuses or even shortening program length would be preferable options.
Maybe there are other programs that actually deserve to be raided for cuts.
