Harder your work, more you pay !

[Radar]

Here is a bit of a problem. We all want low taxes or no taxes right? The Gov't collects the taxes to provide services. One of those services is education. You want your kids to become intelligent and be taught in a manner that will help them throughout their lives to become successful, useful, productive members of society. Unfortunately school taxes is how this is done.
I don't think most of us here mind paying some tax, but the money is so mismanaged and corruption is all over that it is almost impossible NOT to waste taxpayer funds. Federal and state mandates really cripple a school and town district.
What is needed is a new batch of elected officials who are not just waiting for their day in the sun to steal. We need real over haul of the tax system.

Keep in mind. This country was started over a 3% tax on Tea. Look where we are now

High schools with 20+ million dollar football stadiums. Why?

[CoolArrow]

Our country is still doing catch and release of illegals crossing the river. So we have to work harder to pave their way. They need help. Schools, clinics.....etc.

[PEC]

Yes. They stay within your county. You can typically go to your appraisal district’s site and see the breakdown of the taxing entities. Mine are:

-County appraisal district
-emergency service district
-County hospital
-County college
-mud
-ISD

The school money does not always stay in your county. It depends on how your school is classified (chapter 41,42,etc) a lot of times depending on several factors some of your money goes to the state and then distributed to other school districts.

The appraisal guys took a beating here. They are not the problem the county and school comes up with a budget ( and they both waste a ton of money) and it is the chief appraiser job is to appraise the county property to meet their budget. You need to attend the school board meetings and the county commissioner meetings to express your concerns. I was on the appraisal review board and very few people understood how the taxes are set. Yeah they are too high and the school wastes will make you throw up. Our school feeds certain students breakfast, lunch, snack and a meal at the end of school for free and they throw a majority of it in the trash. Wonder why so many kids are so fat and out of shape.

Not sure you fully understand school finances. The school budget has zero to do with county appraisals each school is only allotted so much per student based on several factors. The school board I currently set on makes a budget cut to bare minimum and we have to send around 700,000 back to the state each year, some years we operate in a negative balance and have to dip into our savings(General fund) to make up the shortfall all the while sending back 700,000 to the state. Counties are getting tremendous pressure from the state to up appraisals because the state is cutting back on school funding from state taxes and putting more of the burden on the local county taxpayers.

[JonBoy]

Taxes, taxes, taxes!!!!
I'm disgusted, just paid my property taxes, I'm getting punished for working hard and having a nice place to live, haven't even started on my Federal taxes yet.

Sick of being punished for working!

My wife & I can't have kids...so paying these exorbitant school taxes when we don't have children using those schools...yeah...not a fan. :-/

[Kevin]

The school money does not always stay in your county. It depends on how your school is classified (chapter 41,42,etc) a lot of times depending on several factors some of your money goes to the state and then distributed to other school districts.



Not sure you fully understand school finances. The school budget has zero to do with county appraisals each school is only allotted so much per student based on several factors. The school board I currently set on makes a budget cut to bare minimum and we have to send around 700,000 back to the state each year, some years we operate in a negative balance and have to dip into our savings(General fund) to make up the shortfall all the while sending back 700,000 to the state. Counties are getting tremendous pressure from the state to up appraisals because the state is cutting back on school funding from state taxes and putting more of the burden on the local county taxpayers.

PEC speaks truth. There is a huge misconception on how your school taxes are applied. Most of it is sent back to the state and "Redistributed."

[Goldeneagle]

High schools with 20+ million dollar football stadiums. Why?

[Clay C]

Here is a bit of a problem. We all want low taxes or no taxes right? The Gov't collects the taxes to provide services. One of those services is education. You want your kids to become intelligent and be taught in a manner that will help them throughout their lives to become successful, useful, productive members of society. Unfortunately school taxes is how this is done.
I don't think most of us here mind paying some tax, but the money is so mismanaged and corruption is all over that it is almost impossible NOT to waste taxpayer funds. Federal and state mandates really cripple a school and town district.
What is needed is a new batch of elected officials who are not just waiting for their day in the sun to steal. We need real over haul of the tax system.

Keep in mind. This country was started over a 3% tax on Tea. Look where we are now

I'd feel better about it if schools were improving, hiring competent teachers, teaching real life skills and actually putting that money towards the education of the child. Instead it's about new schools, stadiums, gyms etc. While the kids get taught nonsense. I'm friends with a lot of 1-8 year teachers. Trust me, it's scary.

[BitBackShot]

Taxes suck, but we gotta pay the bills. Everyone always wants everyone else to to it. Nothing new there. If they got rid of property taxes, they'd just implement a huge income tax.

[Goldeneagle]

I'd feel better about it if schools were improving, hiring competent teachers, teaching real life skills and actually putting that money towards the education of the child. Instead it's about new schools, stadiums, gyms etc. While the kids get taught nonsense. I'm friends with a lot of 1-8 year teachers. Trust me, it's scary.

I am getting a feeling that my granddaughter does more school work at home than she does at school.

[Clay C]

High schools with 20+ million dollar football stadiums. Why?

To attract more high end tax payers to their school district. God forbid they use that money to actually educate or help kids.

[Clay C]

The school money does not always stay in your county. It depends on how your school is classified (chapter 41,42,etc) a lot of times depending on several factors some of your money goes to the state and then distributed to other school districts.



Not sure you fully understand school finances. The school budget has zero to do with county appraisals each school is only allotted so much per student based on several factors. The school board I currently set on makes a budget cut to bare minimum and we have to send around 700,000 back to the state each year, some years we operate in a negative balance and have to dip into our savings(General fund) to make up the shortfall all the while sending back 700,000 to the state. Counties are getting tremendous pressure from the state to up appraisals because the state is cutting back on school funding from state taxes and putting more of the burden on the local county taxpayers.

PEC speaks truth. There is a huge misconception on how your school taxes are applied. Most of it is sent back to the state and "Redistributed."

I had no idea. Thank you both for posting this. Guess I need to do more research on this before I start spouting my mouth off about it. Learn something new everyday

[tex8569]

I feel your pain.... wife went back to work last year, which bumped us into higher tax bracket. I have to pay now, instead of getting a return. Even though over 20% of our combined income is taken for federal income tax.

You are going to pay the same amount in taxes either way. You can withhold more and get a refund, but then you're giving the government an interest free loan.

However, when the bank is only paying 1.3% on savings (Amex Personal Savings or Marcus.com not the thieves at Chase or Wells or BofA) increased tax withholding is an easy way to have savings without having to come up with the cash in April.

[tex8569]

Taxes suck, but we gotta pay the bills. Everyone always wants everyone else to to it. Nothing new there. If they got rid of property taxes, they'd just implement a huge income tax.

Agreed. Colorado has basically no property taxes but a 6% state income tax plus high vehicle registration costs. Youre going to have to contribute one way or another. Even if its just for basic services like roads, water, police, firemen, etc.

[flywise]

High schools with 20+ million dollar football stadiums. Why?

I think a few have been in the 70+ million range

[gingib]

I pay school taxes to four different districts that my kid doesn't attend --

How is this?