四级冲刺练习阅读29

　　There is no mention of education in the Constitution, and each state is responsible for its own educational system. Public schools are financed primarily by local and state taxes, and the amount of money spent on public school students varies from state to state. Alabama, for example, spent an average of $716 for each pupil in 1974, the lowest rate of any state. New York, by contrast, had the highest rate, $ 1809 per pupil. The majority of states spent more than $ 800 per pupil.

　　There are great differences in expenditures by communities within each state, depending on the amount of local funds available for public education. Often, well-to-do communities spend several hundred dollars more for each child than poorer towns nearby do. These figures reflect differences in expenditures . for such items as teachers salaries, the purchase of books, and school construction and maintenance.

　　Despite these differences, there is general uniformity in the organization and curricula of public schools throughout the country. Each state is divided into local school districts. Usually a state department of education sets the general requirements that local communities or school districts must meet. Local school boards, usually elected by members of their communities, are responsible for the detailed organization and operation of their schools. This-responsibility includes hiring teachers and administration and setting their salaries.

　　The twelve years of public school education usually begin when a child is six years old. Some school systems are divided into eight years of primary school and four years of secondary school. Primary schools are often called elementary schools, and secondary schools are called high schools. Many systems combine the last two years of elementary school and the first year of high school in what is known as junior high school. This is followed by three years of senior high school. A large number of school systems also have a kindergarten program that provides one year of preschool training for five-year-old children before they begin the formal school years. The academic year lasts nine months, from September to June, with winter and spring vacations. Classes are held five days a week, from Monday through Friday.