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View Full Version : Is school redistricting ethical



Classact
11-28-2007, 12:48 PM
Do you choose a neighborhood for the quality of the schools in it? Then do you pay more for property taxes to support those quality schools? Is this ethical?

All people, and kids are created equal and have the same right to a good education so why have such school districts?

In Puerto Rico there is no property tax, I mean zero property tax on your first home. A second home or rental will be taxed.

Income tax and sales tax funds all schools equally regardless if they are in the inner city or in a nice neighborhood. I mean that the funds are proportionate to the number of students and nothing more. If you go to the inner city school or one in a nice neighborhood the school supplies, teachers and services are the same... same quality of all aspects of education. They rather suck in comparison to the quality schools I attended in America but they are fairly and ethically operated.

If parents desire a better school for their kids they send them to private or church schools out of their pockets and they can afford it because they don't pay property taxes.

What do you say?

Trigg
11-28-2007, 01:55 PM
Do you choose a neighborhood for the quality of the schools in it? Then do you pay more for property taxes to support those quality schools? Is this ethical?

All people, and kids are created equal and have the same right to a good education so why have such school districts?

In Puerto Rico there is no property tax, I mean zero property tax on your first home. A second home or rental will be taxed.

Income tax and sales tax funds all schools equally regardless if they are in the inner city or in a nice neighborhood. I mean that the funds are proportionate to the number of students and nothing more. If you go to the inner city school or one in a nice neighborhood the school supplies, teachers and services are the same... same quality of all aspects of education. They rather suck in comparison to the quality schools I attended in America but they are fairly and ethically operated.

If parents desire a better school for their kids they send them to private or church schools out of their pockets and they can afford it because they don't pay property taxes.

What do you say?


Property taxes are higher in my area because there is a lower tax base, same with the town in Kansas where my grandmother lives.

My sisters kids would go to a city school, her taxes are considerably lower than mine.

IMO what makes or breaks a school isn't money, it's parent involvement.

manu1959
11-28-2007, 02:05 PM
Property taxes are higher in my area because there is a lower tax base, same with the town in Kansas where my grandmother lives.

My sisters kids would go to a city school, her taxes are considerably lower than mine.

IMO what makes or breaks a school isn't money, it's parent involvement.


very true .... and financial investment as well .... in our school district .... any money raised by one school is placed in a pot and redistributed to all schools in the district equally based on student population ..... we you get to high school it is open borders you can to any one of the three you want .... and if you don't like it you can switch ....

Abbey Marie
11-28-2007, 03:07 PM
Property taxes are higher in my area because there is a lower tax base, same with the town in Kansas where my grandmother lives.

My sisters kids would go to a city school, her taxes are considerably lower than mine.

IMO what makes or breaks a school isn't money, it's parent involvement.

Amen, sistuh.

Kids aren't failing because their building isn't new, or because they don't have the latest technologies. They are failing the basics, which requires little more than the teacher herself to impart, and that is because they walk in the door not caring about learning, and with a negative attitude to boot.

Abbey Marie
11-28-2007, 03:10 PM
very true .... and financial investment as well .... in our school district .... any money raised by one school is placed in a pot and redistributed to all schools in the district equally based on student population ..... we you get to high school it is open borders you can to any one of the three you want .... and if you don't like it you can switch ....

Same here, though there is a two-year committment once you choose another school.

JohnDoe
11-28-2007, 03:29 PM
Do you choose a neighborhood for the quality of the schools in it? Then do you pay more for property taxes to support those quality schools? Is this ethical?

All people, and kids are created equal and have the same right to a good education so why have such school districts?

In Puerto Rico there is no property tax, I mean zero property tax on your first home. A second home or rental will be taxed.

Income tax and sales tax funds all schools equally regardless if they are in the inner city or in a nice neighborhood. I mean that the funds are proportionate to the number of students and nothing more. If you go to the inner city school or one in a nice neighborhood the school supplies, teachers and services are the same... same quality of all aspects of education. They rather suck in comparison to the quality schools I attended in America but they are fairly and ethically operated.

If parents desire a better school for their kids they send them to private or church schools out of their pockets and they can afford it because they don't pay property taxes.

What do you say?

i think you might have something here....personally, i think property taxes are some of the most unfair taxes out there! taxing you over and over again, for the exact same property.... plus, it was a hard bullet to bite paying 4k a year for a tiny home, year after year, when my hubby and i never had any kids in the school system!!!!

it seems like, if the money put in to a school really didn't matter that much, as some have said on this thread, then giving all schools the same amount of money per head, would not matter, now would it? and give every child an equal opportunity, as you mentioned.

jd

Abbey Marie
11-28-2007, 03:39 PM
i think you might have something here....personally, i think property taxes are some of the most unfair taxes out there! taxing you over and over again, for the exact same property.... plus, it was a hard bullet to bite paying 4k a year for a tiny home, year after year, when my hubby and i never had any kids in the school system!!!!

it seems like, if the money put in to a school really didn't matter that much, as some have said on this thread, then giving all schools the same amount of money per head, would not matter, now would it? and give every child an equal opportunity, as you mentioned.

jd

I have always said I would take equal distribution of funds over the busing we have now. Our district finally had to admit, under intense pressure from the community to end busing, that they believe inner city kids learn better if they are in classes with "suburban" kids, though their own stats did not support that theory. They all but stated that money doesn't change things. So my kid is one of the "used" guinea pigs in their grand social experiment.

April15
11-28-2007, 05:11 PM
I guess I'm the oddball in this one. Property taxes are like income taxes, the price you pay to live in this country. With all the services you get and the protection afforded by the military it is truly a bargain. I pay mine happily.

Hobbit
11-28-2007, 05:14 PM
I don't mind property taxes going to local school districts, but I think a lot of problems could be solved with school 'redistricting' if we stopped forcefully assigning children a designated school based solely on their geographical location, with the only other option being tuition or homeschooling, in addition to paying for the school that your child isn't going to. I don't mind the government funding education, as I think education is the primary key to success in many forms, but I think they should be as hands off as they possibly can be, because the government screws up everything it touches.

Classact
11-28-2007, 05:40 PM
I guess I'm the oddball in this one. Property taxes are like income taxes, the price you pay to live in this country. With all the services you get and the protection afforded by the military it is truly a bargain. I pay mine happily.From my experience in Virginia the most sought after school district in the area of Fort Lee was an affluent community that had great schools, teachers and labs. In comparison the city near Fort Lee, which was predominately black and poor had the worst schools I have ever seen. No tax base to support the school district... shitty school... rich half million dollar homes and the sky is the limit when it comes to schools, teachers and labs. If a kid from outside of the high tax area tried to enter the school in the high tax zone he or she would be denied for being in the wrong district.

What would be wrong with doing away with property taxes and simply funding schools equally by population?

Hobbit
11-28-2007, 05:45 PM
From my experience in Virginia the most sought after school district in the area of Fort Lee was an affluent community that had great schools, teachers and labs. In comparison the city near Fort Lee, which was predominately black and poor had the worst schools I have ever seen. No tax base to support the school district... shitty school... rich half million dollar homes and the sky is the limit when it comes to schools, teachers and labs. If a kid from outside of the high tax area tried to enter the school in the high tax zone he or she would be denied for being in the wrong district.

What would be wrong with doing away with property taxes and simply funding schools equally by population?

It's not about the money. Atlanta city schools spend more money per student than any other school district in the state, and ranks among the country's best funded schools. They also rank among the country's worst schools. The reason schools in affluent neighborhoods are better is because the parents there are successful and know that their children need a good education to succeed, so they demand it of their district.

Classact
11-28-2007, 05:56 PM
It's not about the money. Atlanta city schools spend more money per student than any other school district in the state, and ranks among the country's best funded schools. They also rank among the country's worst schools. The reason schools in affluent neighborhoods are better is because the parents there are successful and know that their children need a good education to succeed, so they demand it of their district.The House and Senate manages Washington DC schools and it is the same problem there. There are complex problems that cause failure in these cases outside of the facts related to the parents ability. Sub standard union teachers are tolerated... in affluent areas wont stand for it and demand high standards. The kids form areas with uneducated parents require a tutor support system to help with the math and science that educated parents provide in other communities. This is where deadbeat drug dealers and drug sellers comes in... send them to inhumane jails that works their asses off and gives them an alternative to use their brains to learn skills that can be applied in early release programs to help these kids with parents with no skills.

Every asset needs to be used and if you have a captive group of people in jails and on the welfare dime you can influence them to provide tutoring to those who need it if they want to eat and have a roof over their heads. They either put out and learn how to help or get out and become homeless... give them a ride to the state line and drop off the ones not interested in being part of the solution.

Classact
11-28-2007, 05:59 PM
Do DNA testing on all jail residents and match them to all children of unwed moms children... force child support!

Abbey Marie
11-28-2007, 06:14 PM
It's not about the money. Atlanta city schools spend more money per student than any other school district in the state, and ranks among the country's best funded schools. They also rank among the country's worst schools. The reason schools in affluent neighborhoods are better is because the parents there are successful and know that their children need a good education to succeed, so they demand it of their district.

I would take that a big step further to say that these children are taught by their parents from a very young age that education is important to success, and that success is important. And even more damaging, is that in black culture, kids who work hard in school are often ridiculed. Demanding it of the district is all well and good, but the bottom line is that teachers can only do their best with who walks through the door.

April15
11-28-2007, 07:02 PM
From my experience in Virginia the most sought after school district in the area of Fort Lee was an affluent community that had great schools, teachers and labs. In comparison the city near Fort Lee, which was predominately black and poor had the worst schools I have ever seen. No tax base to support the school district... shitty school... rich half million dollar homes and the sky is the limit when it comes to schools, teachers and labs. If a kid from outside of the high tax area tried to enter the school in the high tax zone he or she would be denied for being in the wrong district.

What would be wrong with doing away with property taxes and simply funding schools equally by population?

That would work for all of it fire, police and the city in general. Electricity for stop lights and restriping of road, etc? How to collect and enforce payment is the challenge.

April15
11-28-2007, 07:06 PM
The House and Senate manages Washington DC schools and it is the same problem there. There are complex problems that cause failure in these cases outside of the facts related to the parents ability. Sub standard union teachers are tolerated... in affluent areas wont stand for it and demand high standards. The kids form areas with uneducated parents require a tutor support system to help with the math and science that educated parents provide in other communities. This is where deadbeat drug dealers and drug sellers comes in... send them to inhumane jails that works their asses off and gives them an alternative to use their brains to learn skills that can be applied in early release programs to help these kids with parents with no skills.

Every asset needs to be used and if you have a captive group of people in jails and on the welfare dime you can influence them to provide tutoring to those who need it if they want to eat and have a roof over their heads. They either put out and learn how to help or get out and become homeless... give them a ride to the state line and drop off the ones not interested in being part of the solution.

There is no doubt that parent involvement in education is a must for educational success. There are a few children that can make it on their own but without parents to push, help, and be supportive the demands of peer pressure will win out. Lazy is easy, success is work. I have never heard of a lazy person being successful except as a mattress tester.

April15
11-28-2007, 07:08 PM
I would take that a big step further to say that these children are taught by their parents from a very young age that education is important to success, and that success is important. And even more damaging, is that in black culture, kids who work hard in school are often ridiculed. Demanding it of the district is all well and good, but the bottom line is that teachers can only do their best with who walks through the door.and the support they get to succeed from their home.

Classact
11-28-2007, 07:12 PM
That would work for all of it fire, police and the city in general. Electricity for stop lights and restriping of road, etc? How to collect and enforce payment is the challenge.In VA where I lived renters paid a $50 decal for city/community tax to support the community.

My point is that here in Puerto Rico we have all services and schools with no property taxes. Sales taxes are divided between the community and the state, everyone in the community contributes equal to the purchases they make in the community. I think the sales taxes are divided 3 cents town or county and 4 cents for the state, but no property taxes and that's great! My house payment has never changed one penny. There are also taxes paid on empty lots without homes on them, if you own a house lot and don't build it is taxed until you build so it encourages landowners to build homes keeping the housing prices low.

April15
11-28-2007, 07:28 PM
In VA where I lived renters paid a $50 decal for city/community tax to support the community.

My point is that here in Puerto Rico we have all services and schools with no property taxes. Sales taxes are divided between the community and the state, everyone in the community contributes equal to the purchases they make in the community. I think the sales taxes are divided 3 cents town or county and 4 cents for the state, but no property taxes and that's great! My house payment has never changed one penny. There are also taxes paid on empty lots without homes on them, if you own a house lot and don't build it is taxed until you build so it encourages landowners to build homes keeping the housing prices low.
Perhaps in the states the cost of services is higher. In California sales tax is 8% and funds just about nothing. To make the difference in tax revenues the rate for sales tax would have to be like 25% I guess.