Facing Increased School Taxes When You Have No Kids in The System

In times of ever-increasing school taxes and a less than stellar economy, I hear many people without children in the system complaining that they feel it is unfair to have to pay as much in school taxes as a family with, say, three school-aged children. I believe the way we fund our schools and the way schools budget and expend is less than ideal. Still, many are surprised at my response.

There is very little that taxes fund that are shared and utilized equally by all taxpayers. Following the reasoning that only those with students in the school system should pay taxes, does that mean that someone who never uses any of the parks or beaches should not have to pay any taxes towards them? Or that the highly punitive MTA Tax that we pay to subsidize mass transit (Long Island Rail Road, etc.) should not be charged to those that do not use mass transit? Or that the ever-rising tolls on our bridges (which have been paid for repeatedly) are unfair because most of those funds also subsidize mass transit?

If those without children paid lower school taxes, it would mean that those with children would have to pay even more. So, would we charge per child, or some other method, if we were trying to be fair? In some communities, those living in exclusively senior communities pay lower school taxes, since they are prohibited from having any school children living in those communities. However, what is the overall impact of that on others?

In the deteriorating argument over the school budget, I hear the expression "shared sacrifice” far too often. Who exactly is sacrificing? Aren’t all taxes a form of shared sacrifice? The real issue, as always, is not sacrifice but efficiency and process. School budgets and operations continue from year to year, making the same assumptions. The argument becomes over what percentage to raise the overall budget by, and not whether the monies are being spent optimally. As When was the last time specifics were truly analyzed and considered on issues such as high school period length, number of assistant principals in high school, the four “teams” in the middle school, optimum spending on coaching and sports, determination of true optimized class sizes and impacts, and so on?

My sons attended and are now in their twenties. Yet, while I certainly don’t enjoy paying real estate taxes that have more than tripled since I moved here in 1995, I do not believe that only those with children in the school system should pay school taxes! However, I also do not feel it is fair that these expenses simply go up every year, without a constant reevaluation. The only fair method is that the school budget be prepared the way responsible businesses and organizations prepare theirs. That is, , by using zero-based budgeting that evaluates best methods, and needs, as well as which programs and practices to continues as is, which ones to change or eliminate, and which ones to add.

If there was more transparency in this procedure, and not just rhetoric on both sides, instead of polarization there might be progress. Instead of shared sacrifice, we could discuss efficient and effective education and learning. We must stop blaming the teachers, the unions, and others, Rather we should find an approach that recognizes that few communities can afford to forever increase taxes, while at the same time address the educational needs of our school children.

I believe it can be done. But it will require a can-do and will-do attitude, multiple changes in both attitude and operations, and a new eye on efficiencies and best practices.

Editor's Note: The views expressed in this posting are solely those of the author.