I appreciated the recent Press Herald article about the limited number of Pell Grant recipient students at various Maine colleges (“Bates College ranked among least economically diverse elite universities in U.S.,” Sept. 8). Certainly colleges and universities can all do a more effective job of reaching out to students who would need Pell grants in order to attend their college or university.

And if one looks at the larger picture, there are plenty of other places where work is needed to support better funding for high schools in neighborhoods with lower household incomes. Those schools are much less likely to have very many guidance counselors, and those who work in these schools have less time to support college-bound students. There are more substitute and fewer certified teachers, and fewer extracurricular experiences, among other things that make the high school experience less than supportive in terms of learning about college options.

In addition, students likely to need Pell Grants may be more likely to be holding down part-time jobs that consume their time and attention.

Our system of supporting public schools primarily through local property taxes sets up this inequitable system of public schools, and we need to understand the consequences of this system, which makes it less likely that our society will get to benefit from the skills and talents of all.

Barbara Thomson
Portland