If Education is so Important, Why is it Allowed to be so Affected by Budget Matters?

This is what happens when money matters and schedules interfere with actual learning:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/06/education/06time.html?_r=1&hp

If the point is for children to learn, why is education measured in financial terms? Teachers obviously have to be paid and they should be paid well--but should their jobs include providing breakfast for children or unpaid time for summer programs? Does adding or subtracting institutional instructional time improve or lessen intellectual success? Does anyone care? And, is success only measured by doing well on a test, or are there other ways of measuring aptitude?