Quote:
Originally Posted by Randall55
I was pondering the same. Why did school taxes go up when 70-80% of the tax base do not have children? If you take into account the Developer built three new schools at no charge, it makes less sense. Maybe, they are upgrading/remodeling the older schools? Maybe, more children have moved into the area? Quite a bit of apartments, townhomes, and subdivisions have been built.
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Because the ones who do have children need to educate their children. That means they still have to have schools, computer networks, teachers, paved roads, copy machines and A/V equipment, crossing guards, maintenance workers, landscapers, a principal, a school nurse, a librarian, aides, and so on and so forth.
Because one of those kids COULD end up becoming a President of the United States and it's in the interest of OUR kids and grandkids to ensure that ALL children are educated. That's what public education is for. Our taxes pay for the education of the leaders of the future. They also pay for the initial education of the business owners, property managers, health care workers, arborists, bankers, musicians.
Our tax dollars are supposed to ensure that all of our future adults get a solid educational foundation so we don't end up with a country overwhelmed with ignorant people scrambling for jobs they're unqualified to fill.
I'm okay with that.
Our tax bill was under $2000, which is still less than it was up north. Our northern home was a little smaller, on much larger property. Our northern taxes were close to double but we also had snow removal, MUCH better public schools, leaf pickup, large item "spring cleaning" pickup a couple times a year, much more accessible town government, and a host of other positives that don't apply to Central Florida because it just isn't built or laid out that way.
So I compare my taxes here with what I paid up north, for the services I get here compared to those I got up north.
I'd be okay paying more for education but only if they provided better education for the money. Currently they don't, so I'm okay paying less.