Once again a court has affirmed the state’s constitutional obligation to fully fund an adequate education for every New Hampshire child, using taxes levied at uniform rates. And, once again, the ball is in the legislature’s court to devise a school funding system that complies with these requirements.
"But our students, current and future, deserve no less"
That sounds very nice but it's not even close to achievable when you consider all of the possible scenarios that are the reality. Between population centers and rural areas, the idea of "educational equity" based on geography is at best a serious challenge, if not impossible.
How your child is educated has to do with parental responsibility and how you prioritize your life choices. If you decide to live where services are sparse then you need to figure out ways to supplement your child's education to what is a known reality. Or, you can choose to relocate to a population center where more resources are available. The same goes for employment opportunities.
Likewise, property values and taxes are less when public services aren't available.
If you think that you will be getting the same public education in a place with a population of <1,000 vs >15,000 you're being very unrealistic or simpleminded.
There is nothing fair about expecting those who pay higher property taxes to carry the burden for those who pay less in your desire to achieve "equity". If you want "equity" then provide everyone with an educational voucher of equal value and let them decide where to use it.
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"But our students, current and future, deserve no less"
That sounds very nice but it's not even close to achievable when you consider all of the possible scenarios that are the reality. Between population centers and rural areas, the idea of "educational equity" based on geography is at best a serious challenge, if not impossible.
How your child is educated has to do with parental responsibility and how you prioritize your life choices. If you decide to live where services are sparse then you need to figure out ways to supplement your child's education to what is a known reality. Or, you can choose to relocate to a population center where more resources are available. The same goes for employment opportunities.
Likewise, property values and taxes are less when public services aren't available.
If you think that you will be getting the same public education in a place with a population of <1,000 vs >15,000 you're being very unrealistic or simpleminded.
There is nothing fair about expecting those who pay higher property taxes to carry the burden for those who pay less in your desire to achieve "equity". If you want "equity" then provide everyone with an educational voucher of equal value and let them decide where to use it.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.