Due to lack of funding, public schools are unable to accommodate more students. There are

several factors that keep public schools from acquiring more students. One factor is overcrowding. In

New York City, Public School 261 in District 10 is grossly overpopulated. “The principle… tells me

that the school’s ‘capacity’ is 900 but there are 1,300 children here” (85). With too many students in

one school, other problems arise. Materials, as well as teachers, are needed in large supply. This costs

more money, and if the school is already struggling financially, these needs cannot be met unless

teachers are paid less and the materials are kept at a bare minimum. Offering a low salary makes

finding teachers difficult. “But even substitute teachers in Chicago are in short supply” (52). With a

shortage of teachers one can assume that there will also be a shortage of supplies at the school. “The

shortage of teachers finds its parallel in a shortage of supplies” (52). Supplies, after all, are a

complement of teachers. They go hand-in-hand. Teachers use supplies to teach their students. When

there aren’t teachers, there aren’t supplies. Poorly funded public schools cannot properly invest in

their students with these issues present. “Average expenditures per pupil in the city of New York in

1987 were some $5,500” (83). This is considerably low and demonstrates why poorly funded public

schools can’t accommodate for more students. They can barley afford the students they have, let

alone teachers. These factors undoubtedly affect the public school’s capacity to carry more kids.

They can’t simply expand the campus with all of these issues present.