By Brian Massie, A Watchman on the Wall
After reviewing the current Ohio Report Card on public education, my question is how can we get our property tax dollars back?
The reading proficiency scores for third, fourth and fifth grade students is 64.5% in Ohio’s public schools.
The math proficiency scores for fourth – seventh grade is 53.5% in Ohio public schools.
The State Board of Education and the school unions have done their best to confuse the public with a “star rating system” instead of the conventional percentage system that was traditional in public schools to grade proficiency. Transparency is imperative for good governance, but a problem when trying to hid an ineffective system.
With 60% – 70% of a homeowner’s property taxes going to their public schools, and an overly complex, unfair property tax system that increases taxes without a vote of the taxpayers, the taxpayers of Ohio are being used and abused.
Do we need 611 school districts in Ohio? Do we need 9 school districts in Lake County? The administrative cost continues to grow in Ohio schools. Consolidation of public schools is needed to reduce costs.
Taxpayers are expected to just sit back, pay our taxes and remain silent because we must vote for the school levies “for the children”, and “to ensure that our property values remain high”. If any taxpayer continues to vote for any future property tax levies, they are funding their own demise. However, if your school district is at the 20-mill floor, they will get automatic tax revenue increases without a vote of the taxpayers.
Just and FYI for the politicians and bureaucrats at all levels- there is a looming Ohio taxpayer revolt on the horizon. You have been warned!
Categories: Education, State of Ohio, Uncategorized