- Goose
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Re: Farmers skeptical of Wolf’s tax plan
BYOB wrote:
Shopping for real estate (homes) based on school district is pretty much a Pennsylvania peculiarity.
South of the border you have the Baltimore County schools, Carroll County schools, etc. If you don't like the schools you either choose another county or send your children to private school.
Seems to me that there are a lot of vested interests, including Realtors and newspapers (for the advertising) for maintaining the status quo.I am not sure it is as peculiar as you might think. Although some states do not have certainly as many districts as PA has, most popular home search sites (ie- such as ZILLOW) do rate the local schools when doing a property search. Particularly people with kids care and to a great extent even if buying a home for possible resale later, it has to enter into the equation.
There should be an equal amount spent per student, whatever that number happens to be. Latitude and longitude of a student is irrelevant.
Just to be a contrarian,,,,,,,, if some people care so much that they are wiling to buy homes in a district with higher school taxes,,, shouldn't they be able to spend more on their schools?
We live in a time in which decent and otherwise sensible people are surrendering too easily to the hectoring of morons or extremists.
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Re: Farmers skeptical of Wolf’s tax plan
I am not sure it is as peculiar as you might think. Although some states do not have certainly as many districts as PA has, most popular home search sites (ie- such as ZILLOW) do rate the local schools when doing a property search. Particularly people with kids care and to a great extent even if buying a home for possible resale later, it has to enter into the equation.
There should be an equal amount spent per student, whatever that number happens to be. Latitude and longitude of a student is irrelevant.
Just to be a contrarian,,,,,,,, if some people care so much that they are wiling to buy homes in a district with higher school taxes,,, shouldn't they be able to spend more on their schools?
Nope. They can send their kid to a private school. Public system means the publics money.
It would also be nice if people gave a crap about all children for once, not just their own. Creating a class system in public grade schools is disgusting.
- BYOB
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Re: Farmers skeptical of Wolf’s tax plan
I would also like to see people that think some schools should get more money because of location have to go tell the kids in other schools why one group of kids is worth it, while others aren't, to their faces. They owe them that at the very least.
Last edited by BYOB (3/30/2015 7:56 am)
- Goose
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Re: Farmers skeptical of Wolf’s tax plan
There should be an equal amount spent per student, whatever that number happens to be. Latitude and longitude of a student is irrelevant.
Just to be a contrarian,,,,,,,, if some people care so much that they are wiling to buy homes in a district with higher school taxes,,, shouldn't they be able to spend more on their schools?Nope. They can send their kid to a private school. Public system means the publics money.
It would also be nice if people gave a crap about all children for once, not just their own. Creating a class system in public grade schools is disgusting.
It is the public's money. The public, at a local level deciding what they want to do, and financing at at that same local level.
If you are willing to bear a higher tax burden for the students of your area,,,, I don't know that I would call it disgusting.
We live in a time in which decent and otherwise sensible people are surrendering too easily to the hectoring of morons or extremists.
- BYOB
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Re: Farmers skeptical of Wolf’s tax plan
Guess I just care about all children, not just the children in a certain boundary.
- Goose
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Re: Farmers skeptical of Wolf’s tax plan
Guess I just care about all children, not just the children in a certain boundary.
Are you implying that I do not care about all children?
What if you have a school district in York County and one in Lancaster county that has the same median income.
But the district in Lancaster county wants to spend more per student. Are you going to tell them that they can't do that? That,regional priorities mean nothing and every school has to be exactly the same?
If they aren't asking the rest of us for money, why is it disgusting for them to do that?
We live in a time in which decent and otherwise sensible people are surrendering too easily to the hectoring of morons or extremists.
- BYOB
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Re: Farmers skeptical of Wolf’s tax plan
Guess I just care about all children, not just the children in a certain boundary.
Are you implying that I do not?
No, not at all!
I was explaining my reasoning, not yours.
Last edited by BYOB (3/30/2015 8:21 am)
- BYOB
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Re: Farmers skeptical of Wolf’s tax plan
Funding for schools should be based on the number of students. Why would one group's priorities trump another's in a public system?
There is already a private school system out there. Why would we want to try to turn public schools into a somewhat regionally private system? If you want to be able to pay more for your child as it pertains to schooling, there is the private option already. I'm fine with there being a private option available. I'm also fine with college schooling being the way it is because you are not required to go to college, it's an option, so it's fine having more wealthy, prestigious schools than others. But in a public system, that requires you to go, I don't think it's bad to distribute evenly.
I am also not suggesting that every public school has to spend their money the same. I'm sure that some schools may need more of one thing than another school might. That is where they can tailor to suit their needs, not by how much or how little they get, but what they choose to do with their portion.
Last edited by BYOB (3/30/2015 8:35 am)
- tennyson
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Re: Farmers skeptical of Wolf’s tax plan
Shopping for real estate (homes) based on school district is pretty much a Pennsylvania peculiarity.
South of the border you have the Baltimore County schools, Carroll County schools, etc. If you don't like the schools you either choose another county or send your children to private school.
Seems to me that there are a lot of vested interests, including Realtors and newspapers (for the advertising) for maintaining the status quo.I am not sure it is as peculiar as you might think. Although some states do not have certainly as many districts as PA has, most popular home search sites (ie- such as ZILLOW) do rate the local schools when doing a property search. Particularly people with kids care and to a great extent even if buying a home for possible resale later, it has to enter into the equation.
There should be an equal amount spent per student, whatever that number happens to be. Latitude and longitude of a student is irrelevant.
Even if and when that is the case (and SB76 even allows districts to assess more but not via real estate taxes), I believe people will still seek and pay more for areas where the students and schools are better rated. I agree that every student deserves some level of funding for education. Equal spending on education will not necessarily result in equal performance IMHO. I believe what we are talking about in that sense, however, is what I said earlier in that EVERY student in every school district has to be afforded funding that will ALLOW him or her a chance to succeed. Past that, the money cannot guarantee anything.
The other end of this which the topic is about, is how we can allow an equitable funding to allow this to happen and as Goose seemed to imply, still let any district raise revenues above that standard IF they so desire. I would like to see districts still have some autonomy in that regards and even SB76 seems to allow for that very thing.
"Do not confuse motion and progress, A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress"
- BYOB
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Re: Farmers skeptical of Wolf’s tax plan
I'm not suggesting that people in the community shouldn't be allowed to raise extra money for their students. I do not, however, believe that everyone in that region should be forced to do it. They should be forced to contribute whatever the equal amount per student comes up to be, but beyond that, it should be individually optional.
I am also of the mind that money usually has very little to do with an individual students performance while they are in school. Money is for functionality of schools, the actual learning is up to the student and their desire or lack thereof to embrace what is being taught to them.