Why Should We Pay?
- Caelynn
Earlier this year in the month of April, my town held an election. One of the matters concerned the passing of a referendum that would increase school taxes. For several weeks leading up to voting day one particular friend of mine would always mention it when she saw me. She would say to me and to others around us that we--or as was the case with many of us, our parents-- should vote for the referendum to pass. And why would she tell us this? If the referendum should fail to pass, several sports, extra curricular activities, and classes at the local high school would be cut. My friend is a athlete on the school's badminton team, and if the referendum were not to pass, her sport would be cut and she would be unable to get a sports scholarship for college.
As a homeschooler, I see no reason why I should support the increase of school taxes. Why should I care if the programs are cut? None of these programs benefit me. I cannot take any of the classes, I cannot participate in any of the extra curricular activities, and nor can I play in any of the sports. My family must pay the school taxes--pay for the education of those who attend the schools--in addition to paying the costs of the schooling of myself and my two siblings. Of what use would voting for more taxes be to us? True, it brings a better education to those in our town, but why must we cough up the cash to pay for their education?
If a parent or guardian of a child believes that what they pay for their children's education is high, they should consider the costs of those who pay for the full cost of their own children's education along with that of those who attend the public schools. If the parent or guardian--or student, for that matter--wishes for the student to take classes that the school does not offer, why can they not can pay the cost of their children taking the classes somewhere else? As for the extra curricular activities, it should be considered that some students in this town must pay a considerable fee to participate in such programs. With most sports, opportunities for homeschoolers are nonexistent.
Perhaps it would be better if those with children in the public school system paid for the schooling themselves. This could be done by requiring school taxes from those who have children in the school system or perhaps by each individual family paying a fee for the classes their child takes. Those paying would be participating in the programs that they gain from.
Two days after the voting, I heard the results: the raising of school taxes had been voted down. My friend told me several weeks afterward that she would still be able to play badminton, though the cost had risen. So some students will still get what they want--with taxpayers paying less of the cost.
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