Whats going at Oak Park River Forest High School? (Evanston: condos, houses)

[noid_1985]

Originally Posted by skyeINIL

It's different because these people are paying top dollar to keep their children away from "inner city" kids and their drugs, gangs, and baggy pants.

please tell me you don't believe that

[elikhom]

Originally Posted by skyeINIL

I can't get over the fact that the OP's friend had the nerve to actually approach one of these kids and inquire about his address.

For real

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by skyeINIL

It's different because these people are paying top dollar to keep their children away from "inner city" kids and their drugs, gangs, and baggy pants.

Ever been to Oak Park? It's pretty diverse. They're not paying to keep anyone away from anyone else--they're just paying for good schools. But property taxes are VERY high there, so I can understand why they don't want to pay to educate kids who don't live there. Why would they?

[skyeINIL]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Ever been to Oak Park? It's pretty diverse. They're not paying to keep anyone away from anyone else, just paying for good schools. But property taxes are VERY high there, so I can understand why they don't want to pay for the education of kids who don't live there. Why would they?

Yeah, I've been there and I have a niece that attends OPRF.

I can understand both sides. Although, I doubt there would be as much outrage from parents such as one the OP mentioned if the kids weren't from Austin.

[ParkerP]

Originally Posted by via chicago

LOL, did you just fall off the turnip truck? This happens all over the city/ inner burbs.

LOL! I'm saying, this has been happening for years. Even during my grammar and HS days and I graduated HS 10 years ago. I had friends that would have to leave the house at 6:30am to commute to Whitney Young HS and they are doing quite well now. I'm not in Oak Park but the way I see it, my property taxes goes towards schools when I don't even have any kids anyway so I'm not going to go nuts over a few folks sneaking in. Could the districts tighten it up? Sure. Will the parents find another loophole? You bet. Your friend may want to start renting if this makes her that upset. As mentioned before, its happening everywhere.

[gardener34]

The real outrage is how schools are funded by the property taxes... but that is a huge debate as we all know and another thread/topic.

"stated that they are using Oak park addresses to attend the school." yes, this happens in Berkeley too, w/ Maywood kids try to attend Berkeley/Hillside schools. It is a problem everywhere because Chicago schools are terrible.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by skyeINIL

Yeah, I've been there and I have a niece that attends OPRF.

I can understand both sides. Although, I doubt there would be as much outrage from parents such as one the OP mentioned if the kids weren't from Austin.

People buy homes based not just on the quality of property, but also the, ahem, quality of the neighborhood/neighbors. Buyers generally try to avoid low socioeconomic areas, and this includes buyers of low socioeconomic status themselves. In other words, the poor benefit from mixed income neighborhoods/schools, but the rich and middle-class won't tolerate them.

It's a fundamental problem in the real estate market. I don't know of a simple remedy.

[Humboldt1]

The way I figure it my tax dollars are paying for kids from austin regardless of what school they attend. If the cream of the crop (whose parents care enough to cheat the system) are mooching off taxpayers from oak park this sucks for those taxpayers. I don't think these kids will drag down the schools much as they mostly come from families that care about the education of their children.

I am a single guy and I pay for other people's kids in both Dupage and Cook County. My federal taxes fund sec8 and welfare and food stamps for the poor. If by cheating the system "inner city blacks" from austin can get an education and make something of themselves so that I can stop subsidizing their existence with my tax dollars I am all for it. Still, sorry for the home owners in Oak Park whose are paying for this. Hopefully, some of these "cheaters" will get an education and not be a drain on your future federal tax dollars.

[BJT83]

Wow, concerned resident, you are trying REALLY hard to get racially charged thread going concerning those areas just west of Austin. I wish you luck.

As a social liberal (disgusting!) I have no problem with baggy-pants city kids trying to get a decent education. In fact, shouldn't we actually be encouraging this?

However, as a fiscal moderate and Oak Park resident I understand the concern. My taxes are outrageous and I only live in a condo. However, this does happen everywhere and in all walks of life. To me, you're really not an American until you learn to cheat the system somehow. Hell, I still use my student ID from Michigan to get "resident" hunting and fishing licenses.

[ndfmnlf]

Wow, concerned resident, you are trying REALLY hard to get racially charged thread going concerning those areas just west of Austin. I wish you luck.

Yeah, concerned resident is the resident race-baiter of this forum. I wouldn't take everything he says on his post at face value, though. For all you know, he made it all up.

But to go back to taxes....sure there is some unfairness if your property taxes support people who don't actually live in your city. So the solution is, make them live there. That way, they share the tax burden. But then, we'll hear complaints from concerned resident about the "influx of minorities" blah blah blah......

And why single out property taxes? Doesn't the whole argument apply to all forms of taxes? Isn't it a fact that taxpayers don't necessarily benefit from all the income taxes they pay, and these benefits are actually redistributed to those who pay less into the system?