At a more basic level, school has a big issue with consent. We force kids to attend at the barrel of gun, we force adults to pay for it at the barrel of a gun. How bout we chill with all this non-consensual educational activity. If you have to force someone to use/pay for your product you are not adding value.
On the funding point, for elementary and high school education the US has a rather poor funding record. It’s only when you include the costs of providing university education that the US is the most expensive. Many US states spend half of what Ontario does on K-12 education and Ontario has a much higher educational attainment.
Sorry not ok.
There is merit in the idea of cost sharing for the kids who are in school by their own volition, but as long a coercion is involved any benefits are outweighed by the moral injuries.
As such, they must do what adults think is best for them until they are able to support themselves, at which point they can stop doing what anyone else thinks is best for them.
I think it's best for children to go to school and learn, because this gives them greater opportunities and improved future life outcomes.
What would your alternative proposal be to prepare children to support themselves?