I’m going through the thoughtful packet of school information for my son who’s entering his junior year of high school in Irvine (my daughter’s fourth grade packet will arrive the first week of school). Filling out conrtact forms, signing permission slips, and checking off the fees and charges for things he’ll need this year. It’s an annual ritual.
A twenty dollar fee here, a $95 yearbook there, a $25 workbook.. need that too. Add it all up, and I will need to cut a check for about $300 to my son’s public high school (a Newsweek elite high school at that) on registration day. But since he dropped football, I’m saving a few hundred bucks over last year’s check which was in excess of $600.
Irvine Unified is one of the lowest funded districts in the state. Parents are picking up the slack to pay for things our taxes don’t cover, effectively amounting to a not-so-hidden tax to maintain and preserve the high quality of schools here. The quality of schools lends itself to home values that remaine high and an economic base that is weathering a recession pretty damn well.
The city has stepped in with some financial support for the schools that wasn’t present 10 years ago. But this not-so hidden tax I pay every year (not counting the fundraising drives, etc. throughout the year) really underscores the failure of our Republican state elected officials to get us to the level of funding comparable districts get. Yes, there is scant progress in the areas of equalization, but for the most part, the no new taxes pledge is costing me plenty.Â
Perhaps if there were some Democratic representation in the Assembly and State Senate, we might make some progress on funding out schools better. Burt until then, to my right wing representatives holding up the budget, please…raise my taxes. It can’t be more than I’m already paying now.
No football, that was the best part, going to watch the games, meeting the other parents. so on and so forth.
What are you fill that huge gap with?
He’s doing the Mock UN instead; something he really has strong interest in. He already gets the ideas behind blocking and tackling that will serve him well in group environments later in life. Parents are top notch and a lot of fun.
Or how about, keep the taxes the same, and let people with kids in school continue to pay for those kids, and those who don’t have kids in school not pay all those fees. Novel idea, eh?
Tell you what Adam; without knowing how old you are, let’s say I don’t bother paying my social security taxes so that you or an elderly relative can’t case a check? Of better still, I withhold my federal taxes because I don’t want my tax dollars to the fund the war in Iraq or bridges to Pakistan for law enforcement.
Taxes and the programs they fund represent a social contract from one person to the next. A better educated workforce means better jobs down the line.
I want education fully funded even if it means raising my taxes.