*step up on soapbox*
"Pay to participate" is just another symptom of a flawed education funding system.
Problem #1:
Look at the disparity in suburban school districts around Columbus. Some are doing just great and growing, while others are about to fold. Who loses? The innocent children who are beholden to a government mandated education, but happen to live with lower income parents in an area with low property values.
Problem #2: (The most difficult)
Face it - quality education is motivated by parental involvement. Parental participation at "meet the teacher night" at any particular school speaks volumes. However, regardless of oblivious parents, if the system does not educate these current children about the "importance of education", they are destined to repeat the cycle.
Problem #3:
Funding - actually not really a problem, because everyone can see the school districts that are succeeding and how much they spend. Take an average of per-student spending and voil?! SPECIAL NOTE: No amount of funding will solve #2 - you just can't "buy your way out of stupid". But by having an adequate level of funding, teachers have more resources to break that cycle. Don't blame the teachers for the REAL problem - lack of parental involvement. Why is it that you never hear complaints about teacher salaries/bennies from Dublin, Olentangy or New Albany?
A government mandated public education will never work unless it's funded on a per-pupil basis. I think most folks know why property taxes are used for the funding...
What's next for lower income districts? "Books Fee", "Heating Fee", "Building Maintenance Fee"...
*step down from soapbox*