My issue with paying school taxes when I never had kids in the system, and thereby don’t use the system directly (I get the educated society thing), centers on those that do have kids in the system getting a discount on their taxes, at least federal, in the form of a tax deduction, while I pay full freight for their kids to use the system. In no other instance do I see someone that doesn’t use something pay for someone who does use something, while the one who uses it pays little to nothing.
It’s akin to me visiting an area that has an additional sales tax to fund a sports stadium that I will never use while the team owners, who will reap the benefits, pay nothing.
I do understand that it is my local taxes, without dependent deductions, that pays a portion for schools, but so do the state and federal. Heck, I’ve lived in this area (same school district) for 35+ years, and I couldn’t even tell you where the schools are.
In addition, we live in a 6-house development that has a private road, so my local taxes do not got to plow or maintain it (it exits onto a state road, so no local involvement there). The utility infrastructure was paid for by the developers, so I paid for it when I bought the ground and I pay for the services as well. The police are not permitted on the property unless called, something that has never happened. The fire department is volunteer. The EMT service is a paid service. We don’t have street lights that the township pays to light. If I use the court system to look up deeds, get a gun permit, etc., I pay to do so.
Why am I paying these property taxes again (as I write the spring check and await the fall bill)?