The San Jose Mercury has a great moment in public education:
When it comes to quenching the thirst of teachers and administrators in the Ravenswood City School District, drinking fountains just won't do.
The East Palo Alto and east Menlo Park district outspent four bigger, nearby districts combined on mineral water during the last four months of the 2004-05 school year, according to a Mercury News sampling. Its $9,150 bottled water bill was more than twice that of San Jose Unified -- which has more than five times as many staff members -- and more than 80 times what Sunnyvale School District spent.
It's only taxpayers money that's why there's not much accountability.You'd think that the Ravenswood City School District would be on easy street:
Money is so tight at Ravenswood that administrators have slashed the school supplies budget by 15 percent for the past three years, and students at some schools must copy passages for assignments in class because there are not enough textbooks to take home.
Still, bottled water flows so plentifully in teachers lounges, school offices and meetings that there's enough to supply each teacher, administrator and student services employee with more than seven eight-ounce glasses of water each school day.
Don't they care about the children?
