Grant money could benefit whole school

To The Eagle:

The Gear Up Grant used by Wahkiakum School District has provided many opportunities to prepare for college. However, the problem with this is that the money is only used for one class. Only one class out of the seven middle/high school classes has an opportunity to visit colleges, get their SATs paid for, or go on educational field trips. To me, this is very unfair. It is great for that one class, but what about the rest of the school? Everyone deserves to have the same opportunities to prepare for college.

This year's seventh grade class has been granted this money and they were planning a field trip to visit a community college this month. I do not understand why a seventh grade class would need to visit a college. As a senior, I know of students in my class who have never visited any college. A seventh grader probably does not have a clue what they want to do after high school and they shouldn't have to worry about that. A senior needs to worry about this and should have the opportunity to visit a school.

If we used this money wisely, we could better our school as a whole. You would think that would be the common interest of everyone. But instead, we spend time focusing on one class while the majority of the other classes struggle to find opportunities to prepare for college. As a community we should want all of our students to excel and have equal opportunities so why don't we find a grant that is in the best interest of our school as a whole.

Ashley Silva

Cathlamet