Money, Money, Money

I had to go to the school district offices today to take care of some summer activities for S.  I hate going to that place.  Partly because it's just inconvenient, but mostly, I'm really, really uncomfortable with it.

Our district is one of the wealthiest in the state we live in, and it does show in just about every aspect of what they offer the students.  I'm really not complaining about the quality of education or facilities that S is getting, and I do feel very lucky that all of it is available to him.  His school is wonderful, his teachers are wonderful, yadda yadda.

The district office is new.  They relocated several months ago to a much nicer building, and I was happy for them, because I know they needed the space.  But I was kind of taken aback the first time I walked in.  Do they REALLY need a waterfall on the entry wall?  Is it entirely necessary that every glass surface be etched with the school district's logo?  And what the hell is up with the leather sofas custom-embroidered with the logo, too?  The place is nicer than most office buildings I've been into.

I'm sorry, maybe there are things about school district budgets that I don't understand.  But if they have that kind of money to burn, shouldn't they maybe start using it to build a new 6th grade center since the Intermediate High is on the verge of overcrowding?  Or - you know, just a thought - PAYING THE TEACHERS MORE MONEY.  Seriously.  It's not that our district's teachers aren't paid as much as other districts pay theirs.  They're actually paid (VERY slightly) better, I believe.  But teachers in general ARE underpaid, and if our district can afford those ridiculous sofas, surely they can find it within themselves to go with something a little less extravagant and fatten the paychecks of their school staff a bit.

Although...apparently not.  Because the teachers are still getting paid the same, and those sofas and etchings and that fucking waterfall are right there to annoy the crap out of me every time I walk through the doors of the district offices.