A recent Richard Crowson cartoon drums up support for a proposed bond issue for USD 259, the Wichita school district, by noting the cost is only 11 cents a day. And, he notes, test scores are up in many schools.
I don’t know if this is an argument for or against the bond issue. If test scores are up — and if these scores are a valid and reliable indicator of increased student achievement — what about bond supporter’s argument that the bond is necessary for student achievement? One might say they’re doing well without a bond.
The 11 cents a day argument, while mathematically true for the owner of a $100,000 home, is totally without context. It overlooks the higher taxes that businesses and utilities will pay, as that property is taxed at higher rates. These firms will pass on these costs to their customers as much as they can.
It also overlooks the tremendous sums already being spent, likely to top $13,000 per student this year. And as shown in the post It’s not the $40, it’s the $1,749, the tax burden that USD 259 spending places on district residents is huge.