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Are Rochester schools really that bad? Let's see what the local press says. Of course, as you suggest, you can always pay those taxes and then pay for private school on top of it.
Now, where does the claim(worst in the nation) come from? Is it in relation to urban districts of a certain population? What about the fact that many cities may be in county school districts, which would make for an apples to oranges comparison? What about school districts in rural parts of a state like Mississippi, which tends to rank low as a state and have districts that are more segregated? I ask the last question as someone that has been there and schools in the country in general are becoming more segregated, not less. So, these are some of the reasons as to why I asked if the RCSD actually is the worst SD in the country, especially given that other places have the same issues, give or take.
Also, you don’t have to pay for the charter options. So, there are alternative school options you do not have to pay for in the city.
I believe that there still some solid magnet programs in the RCSD(i.e.-School of the Arts and Wilson Magnet’s International Baccalaureate program) as well. This doesn’t get into the Urban-Suburban Program.
With this said, this may be another reason, along with a way to lower property taxes, to just push for county SD’s.
Last edited by ckhthankgod; 07-22-2018 at 08:35 AM..
Alright, you got me. This is too juicy to pass up. It's kinda becoming a guilty pleasure but I will give this up, I promise.
The condo you link to is a large attic apartment in a gorgeous building. I have driven by it many times. A Kodak exec probably once owned the home. Being in the attic, the space would have been the servants quarters. The kitchen is dreadful, the bath is no better. Drop $50k to improve them and you will never see it back when you sell.
After taxes, HOA and insurance only $823 of the $2236 monthly mortgage goes to building equity. It should be the other way around.
Alright, you got me. This is too juicy to pass up. It's kinda becoming a guilty pleasure but I will give this up, I promise.
The condo you link to is a large attic apartment in a gorgeous building. I have driven by it many times. A Kodak exec probably once owned the home. Being in the attic, the space would have been the servants quarters. The kitchen is dreadful, the bath is no better. Drop $50k to improve them and you will never see it back when you sell.
After taxes, HOA and insurance only $823 of the $2236 monthly mortgage goes to building equity. It should be the other way around.
What are the terms of the mortgage, because that is an awful large amount of equity unless maybe it is a 10 year mortgage. Also, the bath is fine, and the kitchen sucks, but can easily be done for $10k
Are Rochester schools really that bad? Let's see what the local press says. Of course, as you suggest, you can always pay those taxes and then pay for private school on top of it.
The great thing about the lower taxed states is that you have the luxury of having the problems like those in the city schools shipped right to your backdoor, and you get to compete to have your kids go to the magnet school halfway across your county instead of a mile down the street.
My school tax is 70% of my tax and I vote on my school budget. And I choose to live where I did because of the great schools. Yes Rochester area taxes are high, and yes the city schools stink for the most part. But it's isolated and voters do control where they send their kids to school in the suburbs, and they do control and vote on their school budgets.
Ask all the teachers striking across the country in the low tax states about their schools. And this has nothing to do with school unions. In some of these states teachers are paid less than retail workers and haven't had raises in 10 years. You can't possibly attract good talent with those types of wage restrictions. These states believe they can get water from a stone and it's catching up to them.
Maybe we can somehow lower taxes in our metro? Maybe. But let's not pretend that the schools are comparable in quality in the tax paradise states when the budgets for theses schools are peanuts. What they do in these counties is focus resources on the few magnet schools to say "hey, we've got great schools". Minus the city schools, you can pretty much throw a dart in the Rochester area and hit a fantastic public school right down the street from where you live
What are the terms of the mortgage, because that is an awful large amount of equity unless maybe it is a 10 year mortgage. Also, the bath is fine, and the kitchen sucks, but can easily be done for $10k
So that's $823 a month for P&I. That's normal, but you are only gaining about $275 per month in equity. The rest is interest. I don't know about condos, but interest for a single family house is about 4% right now.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ckhthankgod
Is that last sentence true? I know that the district has struggles like many, if not most urban schools, but worst in the nation? There are also charter options like University Prep, Vertus and Rochester Academy, among others at different grade levels. Let alone the private options.
Also, given how home prices have gone up in cities that have grown at a fast pace, that is still relatively affordable city living.
For a parent considering urban living the higher costs normally associated with that route often prevent the "private school" option. When school becomes a concern many opt to head to the suburbs because they can't afford the mortgage and the private school which is why so many urban cores are attractive to empty nesters (both young/old). The weak schools are a major reason that the middle class core continues to avoid the cities and only those with no option or the money for private school remain.
Magnet, Charter, & Open Enrollment schools can not be planned on because if your child is not selected for whatever reason then they are stuck with the regular schools which no one wants. Most parents are not willing to be urban pioneers with their child education.
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