Arizona's sudden $400 million shortfall (Sun City, Prescott: sales, home sales, school districts)

[Bailey340]

We send our children to private schools and would directly benefit from a school voucher system. But I don’t agree with such a system. The taxpayers shouldn’t subsidize my choice to send my kids to private schools.

[LS Jaun]

"The States money"?
That's our tax money. As soon as someone identifies "our money" as the "States money" you know they don't have a clue.

[Greenvalleyfan]

Originally Posted by phetaroi

So it's okay if I don't want to pay for public streets in your neighborhood. Or public sewage systems, public water systems, public police...the list is endless.

Everyone uses public streets, sewage systems, water, police etc. Not everyone has children attending school. I'm all for my taxes going to education. But, I believe people having children should pay more. They put the burden on the system not me.

[phetaroi]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

The above mentioned items benefit everybody, but public schools only benefit the K through 12 age group (and of course their parents). Besides, the combination of everything you listed is less costly to taxpayers than education is. Not only does education rank the highest among state expenditures, property owners are required to subsidize it for their districts. This is even considering that Arizona ranks low in the nation for per pupil funding. It's an enormous cost burden, and it's made worse by the fact that public schools in general are mediocre at best. There's very little accountability and tremendous waste in this system.

No, that's just not true. Having an educated populace benefits everyone.

[phetaroi]

Originally Posted by Greenvalleyfan

Everyone uses public streets, sewage systems, water, police etc. Not everyone has children attending school. I'm all for my taxes going to education. But, I believe people having children should pay more. They put the burden on the system not me.

Virtually every person that you meet and deal with everyday has gone to school. I've been in countries where that's not true.

[AZ Desert Guy]

Originally Posted by Sno0909

While I am vehemently against big government, I do think they have an important role to play. I believe public education is one of them. Could you imagine that state of our country if everyone had to pay for their children's education? 60% of kids just probably wouldn't go to school. Talk about becoming a third-world country.

And this is coming from a family that homeschools our children.

Per the bolded, this is true.

BUT, many public schools need to do better. Some are so bad, parents want a choice for good reasons.

[AZ Desert Guy]

Originally Posted by Bailey340

We send our children to private schools and would directly benefit from a school voucher system. But I don’t agree with such a system. The taxpayers shouldn’t subsidize my choice to send my kids to private schools.

Yet you still are required to pay the taxes for public schools. Can you opt out on that? That would be a likely No, you cannot. Many parents that want choice over public school offerings would indeed like to see their mandated tax dollars follow their children's education. In fact I would wager most parents would want that. You are likely an anomaly.



It is also required that childless retirees such as myself still pay for our local county schools, even if I dont have children or grandchildren in the schools, and never will. I am OK with that as I want those children around me, whose parents accept the local public schools (and any inherent limitations in those schools) to get some type of education. If there is evidence of political indoctrination coming into the schools, (like is obvious in some areas), my personal view on supporting local public schools here in Yavapai county would change pretty quickly. A big chunk of my personal property taxes goes to our local community college also. After looking at their curriculum and policies, I am OK with that also, as those all look reasonable.

[Greenvalleyfan]

Originally Posted by phetaroi

Virtually every person that you meet and deal with everyday has gone to school. I've been in countries where that's not true.

What's your point? I've also been to other countries where that's not true. What does that have to do with this topic?

[phetaroi]

Originally Posted by Greenvalleyfan

What's your point? I've also been to other countries where that's not true. What does that have to do with this topic?

I'm talking about the fact that an educated society is usually more effective than an uneducated society. And public schools in the United States began in 1635.

[Voebe]

Originally Posted by DAXhound

It is the lack of accountability at the public schools that started the charter school revolution. It does appear that the only way to get rid of corrupt, unaccountable schools is to stop sending students to them. If that constitutes "dismantling public schools," then so be it.

I'm not quite sure what you mean. A "school" isn't corrupt. People are corrupt. I know of no case involving a public school where there was massive wrong-doing on the scale of charter schools. And, additionally, there is indeed accountability as the top people are elected officials. There are certainly people running for office to counter the current problems - have you read up on them?