I disagree with the writer of the July 31 letter who claims elementary school field trips and honors programs are wasteful spending on the part of the schools.
First, many of those field trips to high schools are so the elementary students can see a play such as "Fiddler on the Roof" or watch the school's marching band perform its indoor concert. Both events get the children excited about the arts, and it is one of the few things the school district still does to support the arts.
What confused me further was how the honors program could ever be considered unnecessary. It seems that a school full of bored, unchallenged, intelligent students would be more troublesome than maintaining an honors program. If the school has enough students to support an honors program, then why shouldn't it give them one more way to succeed in the world? Every public high school the size of John Marshall, Century or Mayo has honors programs. If they can do it in towns that aren't the ninth-richest in the United States, like Rochester is, then we most certainly can.
Nina; Barnett
Rochester;
