Being a single mother of two intelligent boys, I am concerned with the level of education they will receive. I want the very best for them. My oldest child started kindergarten this year. Through my research of the elementary schools in the area, I have found that there are numerous schools in the Columbus Ohio area that are scoring extremely poorly on the state wide exams. I moved to an area in the city of Reynoldsburg Ohio that is within the boundaries of the Gahanna Jefferson School District. The schools in that district are doing much better than the schools ten minutes down the road in Columbus.
Gahanna is a much wealthier area than Columbus. The houses are worth more than the houses in Columbus. Because schools receive much of their money from property taxes, the schools are in much better shape. There is a vicious cycle in the works. Children from poorer areas will receive a poorer education. The schools have less supplies to aide in the teaching process. This is a sad situation. Because the child’s parents may not do well financially, the child’s education suffers. This leads to the child not living up to their potential and in turn, being stuck in an impoverished life.
To look at this subject from another point of view, I have been thinking about how the residents of the wealthier areas might feel. They may have worked hard to achieve the economic status they are in. It may not be fair to have the property taxes they pay be shared with the much less amounts payed by areas with less of a tax.
Some states are considering changing the way schools get their money. In Georgia, there is talk of a sales tax that will take the place of the property tax. That idea would be beneficially because it would add fairness to all of the schools. A state wide sales tax could be dispersed equally among all schools.
Much more research is needed to come up with the solution to this problem. Luckily, the library tutorial has prepared me well! My essay is going to be directed towards state legislators.