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It isn't sustainable to have continually increasing spending for schools when enrollment continues to decline. Something will have to give. The new 2012 tax rates are out on a town by town basis and most of the rates are up across the board again. Either the towns 1) Increase the tax base by attracting and growing new businesses, 2)Keep spending flat or cut back, 3)Get more people to move to town and pay taxes (Hasn't happened as much since the housing market semi-imploded, particularly in the more rural areas).
It isn't sustainable to have continually increasing spending for schools when enrollment continues to decline. Something will have to give. The new 2012 tax rates are out on a town by town basis and most of the rates are up across the board again. Either the towns 1) Increase the tax base by attracting and growing new businesses, 2)Keep spending flat or cut back, 3)Get more people to move to town and pay taxes (Hasn't happened as much since the housing market semi-imploded, particularly in the more rural areas).
I was wondering about this myself. With both the birthrate and immigration down, how long will be before it makes sense to close/consolidate schools?
I was wondering about this myself. With both the birthrate and immigration down, how long will be before it makes sense to close/consolidate schools?
It's already happened in many towns across the state. Concord had a large consolidation and built several new schools to replace multiple older buildings. Unfortunately, the taxpayers are on the hook for some of those new buildings as they are bonded. Did Concord's tax rate go down? No. It will continue to increase for the next several years due to the new school construction projects that ARE consolidation based.
Scrap the failed public education system.. it doesn't work, it doesn't produce a quality product, it does nothing for the future of our state or nation
I should like the idea of homeschooling or direct tuition payments as we do not have children. Not paying for public schools would reduce my taxes by about $1200 a year. That sounds like a good deal.
Well, it is not. It would actually be the most expensive $1200 I ever saved. I would have to spend far more just in security costs to keep the uneducated from robbing me blind looking for food and shelter. If I were in business I would be stuck with illiterate workers unable to read basic safety instructions. It would be the 1800’s with a vengeance.
IMHO Public Education of everyone regardless of ability to pay is one of the greatest inventions ever. It is the basis of increased industrial and business productivity as well as perpetuating civilized mostly peaceful society. It is also a key in eliminating the exclusivity of privilege that has separated the kids of the managers from the children of the workers. The owners’ kids have always had a separate system designed to protect privilege. Basically educated people are necessary in a Democratic Republic to function.
I believe that the No Child Left Behind and teaching to the test are complete absurdities. I also believe that anyone that wants to drop out of public schooling should leave. Schools should be for the people that want to learn. The rest should get the hell out of the way.
Public education should be extended to four years of college for the qualified at very minimal tuition, room, food and medical care. This will help us develop a thoughtful, civilized and prosperous society for the good of all. That is worth the cost even for those that do not have children.
I should like the idea of homeschooling or direct tuition payments as we do not have children. Not paying for public schools would reduce my taxes by about $1200 a year. That sounds like a good deal.
Well, it is not. It would actually be the most expensive $1200 I ever saved. I would have to spend far more just in security costs to keep the uneducated from robbing me blind looking for food and shelter. If I were in business I would be stuck with illiterate workers unable to read basic safety instructions. It would be the 1800’s with a vengeance.
IMHO Public Education of everyone regardless of ability to pay is one of the greatest inventions ever. It is the basis of increased industrial and business productivity as well as perpetuating civilized mostly peaceful society. It is also a key in eliminating the exclusivity of privilege that has separated the kids of the managers from the children of the workers. The owners’ kids have always had a separate system designed to protect privilege. Basically educated people are necessary in a Democratic Republic to function.
I believe that the No Child Left Behind and teaching to the test are complete absurdities. I also believe that anyone that wants to drop out of public schooling should leave. Schools should be for the people that want to learn. The rest should get the hell out of the way.
Public education should be extended to four years of college for the qualified at very minimal tuition, room, food and medical care. This will help us develop a thoughtful, civilized and prosperous society for the good of all. That is worth the cost even for those that do not have children.
Groan.... Back when I lived in NH, 75% of my town taxes went to pay for the schools... to the tune of $18K a year for schools I never used... So much for 'live free or die'.
For the 'illiterate workers unable to read basic safety instructions', that explains why (and this was well over a decade ago), 45% of my engineering staff was from India, and 45% was from China.
Quote:"I also believe that anyone that wants to drop out of public schooling should leave." That directly contradicts your statement " I would have to spend far more just in security costs to keep the uneducated from robbing me blind looking for food and shelter."
Quote:"It is also a key in eliminating the exclusivity of privilege that has separated the kids of the managers from the children of the workers." I guess then you have never sent a child to a really good university (or private school). Takes a boatload of cash. (The public schools aren't cheap, either, just we taxpayers have little say over it).
Groan.... Back when I lived in NH, 75% of my town taxes went to pay for the schools... to the tune of $18K a year for schools I never used... So much for 'live free or die'.
Who exactly forced you to buy a house that cost $24000 a year on taxes? You didn't know beforehand what a million dollar home would cost in taxes?
Who exactly forced you to buy a house that cost $24000 a year on taxes? You didn't know beforehand what a million dollar home would cost in taxes?
No one forced me... but after watching the tax rates skyrocket over the years I was there (well, not the rate, but the assessment). Talked with the assessor, and he stated, after I told him that I could only sell one of the houses for a fraction of the assessment, his response was "well, many of the houses here are over-assessed". Not a good answer. It was only $8K in taxes when I first moved there. The new school they built, in the argument to do it was "it won't raise taxes". ROTFLMAO.
I just took extreme objection to paying for things that I don't use or care about. Police, fire, road plowing, town services, that is all fine. But that only accounted for 25% of the tax bill. Had to take my trash to the transfer station, and really didn't use any of the other services in the town. Well, it colored me gone.
The only worse abuse of taxpayers' money I remember was in Lawrence MA, where they blew something like $70M on the school, and they were using new laptops as doorstops.
Taxation should be a pay-as-you-go structure. If I wanted an Aston Martin, I should be expected to entirely pay for it myself (unless you are volunteering, without choice, to chip in... might even take you for a ride in it)
Thomas Jefferson was right.
JMHO.
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Thanks Dave
Public Education
