Is it time for the city of Pittsburgh to privatize school and get rid of school taxes? (real estate, school district)

[h_curtis]

Some families are paying over $1000 a month in school taxes. The schools are obviously horrible and can't compete with suburb schools. What about privatizing schools in the city and no school tax? I have a feeling people would move to the city in droves. I know I would move as soon as I have no kids in school. I would invest a lot of money, because I wouldn't have that ever looming school tax bill each and every year. The city would be a tax haven for many. Sure if you have kids you have to pay for school, but private schools vs. city school is a no brainer. No comparison. What do you think? Pros and cons?

[BrianTH]

No.

[GeneW]

Huh? How exactly do you pay for schools with no taxes?

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by GeneW

Huh? How exactly do you pay for schools with no taxes?

You don't. He is proposing the City of Pittsburgh would have no public schools.

So, no.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Then you would people who can't afford school not sending their kids to school and thus we'd have an illiterate America. How about no.

[h_curtis]

What are you talking about? Take that massive tax bill and send your kids to private school. What is the big deal? They get a real education, with no metal detectors and they don't waste their time going to schools like Westinghouse. Why do kids not go to school? Private school teachers make quite a bit less and tend to produce better students.

[h_curtis]

Originally Posted by GeneW

Huh? How exactly do you pay for schools with no taxes?

If you have a child you pay for your kid to go to school. Just like paying for college. The school tax bill savings would pay for a lot of it. Heck, my school tax bill would be better spent on a private school and I am in a good district.

[GeneW]

That really makes no sense at all. Unless you have a million dollar house, the school district tax isn't even close what you'd pay for a private school for one kid. What if you have multiple kids?

For reference, here's the tuition plan for Winchester Thurston, a fine school I'm sure, but if you're paying $18000 a year in school taxes, you must have some serious house.

[h_curtis]

Originally Posted by GeneW

That really makes no sense at all. Unless you have a million dollar house, the school district tax isn't even close what you'd pay for a private school for one kid. What if you have multiple kids?

For reference, here's the tuition plan for Winchester Thurston, a fine school I'm sure, but if you're paying $18000 a year in school taxes, you must have some serious house.

Well Winchester Thurston is a very good school and really can't be compared to a city school. What about cyber school if you are on a budget?

Look, I am just bringing this up for discussion purposes. I am not saying I want or care, but thinking about what it would be like. How many empty nesters would move to the city? How many young people without kids? That real estate would go up I suspect, since most people are not raising a child between K-12. You have a kid in college, move to the city. You don't plan on having kids? Move to the city. Retired? Move to the city. If you have kids, move to the burbs like so many do anyway, or send the kids to private school like so many do anyway. These are possible benefits. Sure there are lots of cons, but the school district is a failure for the most part. No money, cuts and the list goes on. How do you solve it? Raise taxes again? Charge more money in some other backward way, like a drink tax, or tax food and clothes? Why are all these problems happening? Why can't we have a good school and not be in debt ALL the time? Why is everything stretched to the max at all times? Teachers make too much? Too much overhead? Too many administrators? Too much security?

Guess my question is, what would be the effects? No isn't much of an answer. It has no body, no thought.

[LIRefugee]

My mind is boggling.