Question

Property tax has been criticized as an unfair base for financing public schools. Areas that have high property values are able to pay for better schools than areas having lower property values. Thus, there is an inequality of education opportunities that tends to perpetuate educational and social disadvantages for those who live in low-income areas. Do you agree or disagree? How could school financing be modified to provide more equal funding among all regions of a state?

Answer 1

I agree with the statement that there is an inequality of education opportunities that tends to perpetuate educational and social disadvantages for those who live in low-income areas. This is because of the fact that the difference in tax revenue between wealthy and lower-income communities is not offset by other sources of revenue. It is a fact that property values are local in nature and hence differ from one location to another and from one community to another.

There is a need to modify school financing with the goal of providing a more balanced funding among all regions of a state. This need can be fulfilled by using a more standardized and equitable methodology. The taxation system can be modified to a statewide taxation system and a statewide funding system rather than being merely a local system. This has to be done without diluting the level of local autonomy in schools.