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Ameer wrote:
My simple view is ISD taxes should be used to pay for the ISD, not highway construction or farm subsidies.

You missed my point entirely. No one wants to build a road with the school tax revenue. I have no issue with the school tax (I want to use it to educate my son!) even for those that have grown kids and don't use the schools. My point was that in area with traditionally crap schools... like for decades not just a bad year or two- the broken system needs to be fixed. Right now there is almost no incentive to fix it. No incentive because there is no accountability or repercussion for ISD's with under performing schools.

If people were allowed to use their school taxes to help pay tuition for private schools (in areas that the public school was ranked below acceptable) then they would have an incentive to fix it or lose revenue and be out of a job.

After 30-40 years of a particular school being ranked below acceptable state standards, I feel like the ISD is to giving the residents districted for that school, the middle finger.

Ameer wrote: Some people want to use tax dollars to pay for private school because they don't like public schools. If they get that, I think it's only fair for me to get tax dollars for my private vehicle because I don't like public transportation.

You have a simple view of an issue that's not so simple.

My kid is districted for the same school my wife was districted for as a child- it was so bad then, that her parents had her adopted by her grandparents to get into a decent school. In 30+ years they have not fixed the schools... still under performing and downright scary. Why should we be forced to send our kid to a crappy school? Out of district transfers can choose school- in district we can not.

Those against allowing some conversion of tax to school choice are typically in good districts. I'd love to have a public school choice I was comfortable with... but I don't. We pay over a grand a month, plus uniforms, and all the other private school stuff on top of all the same taxes you pay, for and education that may actually be a little behind the good public schools.

The better question might be why do I have to pay 3-5 times what you pay for the same basic education your kid gets, on tax dollars alone?

I don't claim to have all the answers but I do know when a school sucks for over 30 years, it's time to start over or give the people in that district a choice of some kind.

And public transportation doesn't run out here either!