In 2012, according to The Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA, which collects test results from 65 countries for its rankings that come out every three years, the United States ranked below average on math and close to average in science and reading among developed nations. Claiming to be a ‘superpower’ with a society brainwashed by the mechanism that ‘America is the best’, I am utterly astonished that the lack of educational success amongst our youth has not sparked an awakening among the educators and leaders of our country.

Recent budget cuts made by the School Board don’t help with the situation. With things like summer school and activity buses being thrown out the window to save things like freshmen sports and assistant athletic directors, it’s hard to say that our school system values education over recreational activities.

Special Education Assistants, summer school, high school activity buses, high school deans, full day kindergarten, and many other crucial items are also being cut. Programs like English Language Learners (ELL) and elementary school Spanish courses will be the most affected. All teacher assistants in the ELL program and the Spanish classes will be taken out completely.

Loudoun County is known as one of the most diverse areas of the world, yet our local government is making a drastic mistake that could hinder our understanding of other cultures. Instead of creating a smoother transition for foreign students into our school and communities, they are making it harder. How will our area grow richer in culture if we can’t even accommodate the people who need the most help? How will our kids adjust to learning a completely new language [Spanish] in a time when every single public sign has two translations?

I do understand that the budget is limited and not all of the money coming into Loudoun County can be put towards schools, but I do believe that the money should be allocated correctly.

Although it is the School Board that decides which programs will get cut, the true problem lies with the Board of Directors and the allocations of the annual Loudoun County budget. The Board of Directors is comprised of elected members that represent every region of Loudoun County. They are in charge of coming up with the county’s budget and voted to give LCPS an eight percent budget increase next year; however, this still has caused havoc among the people.

Upon reading an article regarding the items being cut from our schools in The Loudoun Times, a student was outraged and tweeted, “So instead of LCPS cutting athletic assistants and freshmen sports they decide to cut summer school, special ed assistants, and busses..cool.” This tweet received 94 retweets and 94 favorites when the student would usually get on average, say, 10 retweets and 14 favorites. This completely undermines the belief that American students are lazy and and don’t care about their education.

It is embarrassing, I should say, that students understand the importance of their education more than the wealthy businessmen who allocate the assets of the richest county in America. The amount of attention given to this issue by students makes me realize that we can truly make a difference. If the School Board and the Board of Supervisors notice that students care about their education more than extracurriculars that may not be as important to their future, like freshmen sports for example, the Board of Supervisors could prioritize more accurately. The School Board needs realize that without a successful school system, Loudoun County’s overall value could go down, and America’s future could be at jeopardy. So the next time they walk into Starbucks for a $6.35 espresso, they should think about how much the value of a whole year’s worth of coffee could add to our school system.