As School Begins, It’s Time to Question Where Your Money Is Going

August 30, 2009 by Cato  
Filed under Delaware, Education, Maryland, Maryland Politics, National, Virginia, Virginia Politics, Wicomico Politics

Some districts have already begun.  Others start on Monday or Tuesday.  Some more will begin after Labor Day.  What am I talking about?  School, of course.

If you are a homeowner, this is where the lion’s share of property taxes go.  If you’re a renter, a high percentage of your rent goes there as well.  If you live in a state like Delaware, Pennsylvania, or Texas, at least you know exactly what your tax bill is for the local school district.  Regardless, the government is spending far more per child to educate our children than comparable private schools are.

With a national median tuition of $6,200 private schools could teach their state run counterparts a thing or two about saving money.  This is one reason why the public school fasciti are so vehemently opposed to school choice.

Make no mistake, public education dollars aren’t “for the children”.  At times it seems that “the children” are just a necessary evil.  In my own little patch of Wicomico County, we see that our local board of education is more concerned about increasing teacher pay and pension benefits than attempting to provide a top-notch education.  Sub-standard teachers and administrators are protected while those that excel are not rewarded for their efforts.  Board members and employees take junkets on the taxpayers’ dime.

As school begins, it is again time to question our elected officials as to how our money is being being spent on behalf of “the children”.  We also need to push our legislators to adopt more options of school choice.

Also check out School Choice for Maryland