As usual, you have replied thoughtfully as well.

Based on my years on our school board, I think you might be conflating private schools with Charter Schools.

Private schools are financed by tuition, donations, trusts, and benefactors. It is illegal to dole out public dollars to private companies, including private schools.

The Charter School model was established for the sole purpose of educating a "specific" set of students using public education dollars. While its the current form of racial segregation trickery, Charter Schools also segregate students by religion.

The larger the Christian evangelical base in a community, the more Charter Schools there are. Since Charter Schools are not required to serve the extremely expensive educational needs of so many children, public schools must do this job with ever declining budgets.

Harder still, most Charter Schools only serve students up to sixth, sometimes eighth grade. After that, students attend public high schools. Unfortunately, students from Charter Schools, especially those that serve "home-schooled" parents, are rarely prepared for the rigors of a public high school. As a result, public schools spend tons of money for remedial education necessary to bring Charter School students up to speed. Obviously, public school students get screwed from every direction.

Walter, I've read your work long enough to understand that you grew up in an unusual place. While it sounds dreadful, ugly, and abusive, it is not common in rural America - and thank goodness for that.

On the other hand, when I think about it, I've spent most of my time in rural communities that were working their tails off to overcome enormous obstacles, take care of their residents, and grow. Do you think that might explain our different perspectives on rural life?