https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 21 Apr 2026 20:50:35 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-willing-to-pay-higher-school-taxes-for-better-schools#post-2524050 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 17:20:23 +0000 Andrea 2524050@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes, we're not using the public school, but our area is very nice so we like living here! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-willing-to-pay-higher-school-taxes-for-better-schools#post-2523939 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 15:25:08 +0000 PurplePumps 2523939@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The better schools usually come with higher priced homes and higher taxes... just kind of how it works. The city I grew up in, was in top 10 in my state, but actually a fairly low tax rate. On a 500k house, it's taxes are only 5-6k, but I think they make up for it in volume since there's 85k population, the average home price is over 1mil and there are a lot of businesses. In my town now, also top 10 in the state, on a 500k house, taxes are 9-10k, but it only has 8k population and no businesses to help pay the taxes. I do complain now that we pay 10k in taxes, and they still can't even come take our trash! But yes, we were definitely willing to pay the price, be it in home cost and/or taxes to be in a good school district. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-willing-to-pay-higher-school-taxes-for-better-schools#post-2523935 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 15:21:47 +0000 gingerbebe 2523935@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Well, in CA our property taxes are capped, but the school districts determine the property values. In the "best" district near, houses identical to ours (like, same builder) go for 2.5 times what we paid for our home and the city itself has tons of local assessments and fees and what not. Water and trash rates are probably 3 times what we pay here, the city sales tax is higher, so everything costs more. </p> <p>Our home is in the next town over (5-7 miles away, depending on where you are), and the schools here are okay, but the cost of living is literally at least half the price. Like, it was cheaper to live here and send our kids to private school. So it was a no-brainer. </p> <p>If we lived in Michigan, where DH's family is from, we'd be paying crazy high property taxes, but you get a lot services, like snowplowing, and the schools there are like palaces compared to CA schools! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-willing-to-pay-higher-school-taxes-for-better-schools#post-2523925 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 15:11:11 +0000 Mrs D 2523925@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm happy to pay higher taxes for better schools - if its a direct correlation. We chose to live where we live bc it is in one city but has another (better) school district. So we pay lower taxes than most those that our kids will go to school with.</p> <p>I'm also happy to support the schools in other ways. My kids are not in school yet so perhaps a program exists...but I'd be all in for like an adopt a classroom situation (get a wish list from a teacher for supplies/etc)...especially if it was in a less supported community. I love ways when you can give directly to the source and know it is benefiting the intended individuals. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-willing-to-pay-higher-school-taxes-for-better-schools#post-2523911 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 14:59:45 +0000 PurplePeony 2523911@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bluestriped bee: it will be interesting to see what happens once McCleary is finally implemented and they do away with local levies. I'm not really looking forward to having a kid in public school while they work out the kinks... </p> <p>To answer your question, yes, I would. But I do know people who have chosen to live in lower-cost areas with less-desirable public schools because they always planned on private school anyway. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-willing-to-pay-higher-school-taxes-for-better-schools#post-2523910 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 14:59:15 +0000 Adira 2523910@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yoursilverlining: Agree with you 100%.</p> <p>I'd be happy to pay a higher tax and have better schools. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-willing-to-pay-higher-school-taxes-for-better-schools#post-2523887 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 14:44:26 +0000 avivoca 2523887@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't mind it because it is what it is, but I wish that having good schools wasn't dependent on taxes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-willing-to-pay-higher-school-taxes-for-better-schools#post-2523881 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 14:39:25 +0000 Periwinkle 2523881@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes. We knew going into it that, to buy in our area, we would be paying ridiculous taxes, but we look at it as the price we pay to have good public schools. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-willing-to-pay-higher-school-taxes-for-better-schools#post-2523869 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 14:27:21 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2523869@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes, often from what I notice better schools happen to be in neighborhoods that are pleasing to the eye and offer nice amenities. It's just not the school I am buying into, but the rest of the community. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-willing-to-pay-higher-school-taxes-for-better-schools#post-2523855 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 14:18:39 +0000 agold 2523855@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-willing-to-pay-higher-school-taxes-for-better-schools#post-2523853 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 14:17:28 +0000 mrsbookworm 2523853@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We moved to a town with good schools but pretty high taxes (we pay around 11k) because we really value public education. Wish it wasn't quite so pricy though!😜 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-willing-to-pay-higher-school-taxes-for-better-schools#post-2523847 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 14:13:22 +0000 LAZB 2523847@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would definitely pay more in taxes if it meant better schools. I was actually talking to my mom about this this morning. Where we are now, we would have to send our kids to private school, so I'd be willing to spend a lot on taxes to avoid that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-willing-to-pay-higher-school-taxes-for-better-schools#post-2523846 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 14:13:22 +0000 yoursilverlining 2523846@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don’t mind paying higher taxes for better schools. Better schools benefit everyone, not just my family; feels a bit like a community responsibility to me. I also have an issue with charter schools for similar reasons. </p> <p>It’s also economically advantageous for me to pay more in property taxes compared to private school tuition. The private schools we would be interested in that are local to us are all about $20k+ per year. My taxes won’t go up by $20k each year, so I’m still ahead. </p> <p>Older/retired people who bitch now that their kids are grown about paying public school taxes really, REALLY piss me off. What a self-centered worldview. </p> <p>We pay just over $6k in property taxes, which paired with local housing prices and average incomes that don’t support those prices is really at the top of what we can afford. My MIL pays $9k in property taxes and lives in a better school district 2 districts over. I would love to get into that district, but we can't afford to right now, or in the conceivable future. :bummed: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-willing-to-pay-higher-school-taxes-for-better-schools#post-2523837 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 14:09:44 +0000 MOMTOLITTLEB 2523837@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bluestriped bee: Hi! We might have been former neighbors ;) I am fine with our school taxes but I guess some people might think they are high. I look at family members in several different areas within 30 mins of us and I think we found the right spot as far as taxes and good schools...a lot of them pay more for less desirable schools. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-willing-to-pay-higher-school-taxes-for-better-schools#post-2523822 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 13:58:37 +0000 Truth Bombs 2523822@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Absolutely. My dad was a town selectman where I grew up and he did a TON of work on a proposal to invest in the school system that would require a tax increase. The town voted it down because was had a lot of older people who didn't have any school age children and failed to see that they would in fact benefit from the proposal in the form of increased property values. So short sighted! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-willing-to-pay-higher-school-taxes-for-better-schools#post-2523821 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 13:58:32 +0000 BSB 2523821@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MOMTOLITTLEB: Yup, I lived in Chester County, too. Hi! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-willing-to-pay-higher-school-taxes-for-better-schools#post-2523815 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 13:54:05 +0000 MoonMoon 2523815@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes. 100%. And I say that even as a NY resident, our property taxes are among the highest in the nation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-willing-to-pay-higher-school-taxes-for-better-schools#post-2523810 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 13:51:26 +0000 MOMTOLITTLEB 2523810@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bluestriped bee: We are in a good school district in Chester County (not the best but good) and that is in line with what we pay in property taxes although it is on the low end for school districts in this area.</p> <p>I would pay more for better schools because education is very important to me, but I'd also like to live in an area where it's important to people around me too. I didn't go to public school myself but I definitely want to be confident sending my children to public schools. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-willing-to-pay-higher-school-taxes-for-better-schools#post-2523766 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 13:26:03 +0000 ModernDayJibarita 2523766@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We pay 6K a year on taxes and have no problem with it. We'll have been paying taxes for 8 years before our kids goes to kindergarten. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-willing-to-pay-higher-school-taxes-for-better-schools#post-2523759 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 13:24:24 +0000 snowjewelz 2523759@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Alba4: Oh ya! I'm from there :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-willing-to-pay-higher-school-taxes-for-better-schools#post-2523757 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 13:23:27 +0000 looch 2523757@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would yes, but we're talking about paying 6-8k vs 11-15k. And in the 15k town, you need to organize your own garbage pick up.</p> <p>There are some towns in the area that have property taxes in the 30k range, so those are out of our league. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-willing-to-pay-higher-school-taxes-for-better-schools#post-2523755 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 13:21:57 +0000 Alba4 2523755@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Absolutely! Taxes in Westchester County are crazy high, but schools are great. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-willing-to-pay-higher-school-taxes-for-better-schools#post-2523750 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 13:20:31 +0000 Mamaof2 2523750@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I figure you pay the school tax and have good public schools<br /> or<br /> no school tax and pay for private</p> <p>I don't mind the school tax </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-willing-to-pay-higher-school-taxes-for-better-schools#post-2523744 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 13:18:59 +0000 snowjewelz 2523744@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>All the towns with good schools have sky high taxes. </p> <p>We can't afford to live in the town we live in if not for a special exemption. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-willing-to-pay-higher-school-taxes-for-better-schools#post-2523742 Wed, 13 Apr 2016 13:15:08 +0000 BSB 2523742@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've lived in the suburbs of Philadelphia for most of my life and high school taxes were very common. A lot of people complain about it (my parents) but the school I went to and the school districts around me were pretty good. Not the best in the state but top 20% in the state. </p> <p>Back when I was in school, I think my parents paid $5K a year. I'm sure it's gone up since then. </p> <p>I do know that where I live now (suburbs of Seattle) people are complaining about school taxes and it's half of what my parents paid when I was in school. </p> <p>With all this talk about living in a neighborhood with good schools, we haven't talked about how school taxes come into play. </p> <p>Granted, I know some school districts do better with how the taxes are used. Also, I've heard some 'richer' school districts usually have community support and additional funds. A friend works for a school in the city of Philadelphia and she has no budget and has to buy most of her school supplies. </p>