this post was submitted on 27 May 2026
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They seem to think that what I mean is that we shouldn't use tax money at all. No. I'm happy to pay for the same education for all children. A standardized education.
Incorrect. That's not what I think. I'm seeing if you've thought through the consequences of your proposed change and have a solution I can't see.
Okay, so right now many schools are paid for by additional local income/sale/property taxes (these would be over and above any state or federal tax money that all schools would get). Those local taxes are passed by vote of the people in those localities. Under the current system, if "City A" has voters choose to tax themselves at a higher rate for better schools, then they get better schools. If "City B" has voters shoot down their tax increases, their schools pay the price and decline.
I'm not trying to strawman you here. I'm trying to understand your proposal. Are you proposing to take the additional tax money generated in City A that they put on themselves and give a portion of it to City B to create your standardized education?
Your argument is predicated on the idea that a few paying more tax should in some way be spread further which would lead to a drop in education inevitably in many places.
My point is that, instead of localities paying more (or less tax) it should be a tax across the board from everyone to maintain the best education. So instead of locality A and B paying a higher local tax and locality C and D paying a lower one (meaning that they have to have their system supplemented by localities A and B.
But by simple math, if we eliminate that tax entirely and instead institute a higher tax rate at the federal level then everyone is paying into the same system and money would be allocated based on the number of children it serves i.e. each child receives $27,000 a year in funding for education to be spent paying faculty, buying school supplies and learning aids and equipment. All of that would of course have to be standardized.
I can name several problems with the is system because a lot of the way we standardize things in this country is to pay a private firm and that in and of itself is a whole can of worms.
But something this could potentially do is pay teachers a competitive rates (the disparity between teachers salaries from state to state alone is horrendous let along locality to locality), and allow for a more even spread of teachers to students. Less over crowded classrooms. The same or at least equitable activities and opportunities for the curriculum and extra curricular experiences.
There's other things that would need to be fixed in society as well. But the current system can do one of two things to make the school system more equitable for all students. They can share (with higher economic yield areas that have higher property values) paying for poor schools to operate at the same standard, or they can consolidate, essentially eliminating the requirement that a student must live in a specific zip code to attend said school.
But one of those things puts a significant burden on poorer parents, and the kids. Having to be bussed hours to school causes its own snowballing problems.
Of course doing it the way I suggested will likely eliminate some school types. Technical schools, agricultural schools, specialty schools, schools with fusion style approaches to teaching that often benefit Neurodivergent kids etc.
But either way I dislike the idea that kids are freeloading by going to the "good school". If the parents have to game the system then the system to get their child a good education then the system is fundamentally broken.