I understand that no one wants to see a child suffer, but at the same time it is the parent's responsibility if the child is suffering. If I as a parent (I'm not, just making an example) choose to not pay my electric bill, my children will suffer without lights, heat, etc. If I chose to not pay my mortgage/rent, my children will suffer being homeless.
Should the electric company, bank, or landlord be demonized because of a parent's bad decisions? Absolutely not IMO, nor should the taxpayers (school district) be demonized.
A child always reaps the benefits of it's parent's good decisions and suffers from it's parent's bad decisions. Outside of the government setting extremely tight laws about parenting and making children a ward of the state if parents don't/can't comply we will always see children suffer and believe me, you don't want to give the government that type of free reign.