In most states, property taxes fund public schools, but homeschooling families often don’t utilize these resources. While some programs offer free classes or curriculum to homeschoolers, many choose not to use them due to the same reasons they opt for homeschooling—desiring more control over their child’s education. There should be a way to return a portion of these funds to homeschooling families, as they are paying into a system they do not fully benefit from. A tax rebate or educational savings program would provide fair financial relief, allowing families to invest in the resources they truly need.
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I would love to see homeschoolers be able to opt out of paying taxes to help public school systems we do not use.
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I like the thought but childless people, the elderly and people who use private schools pay those taxes along with us. I don’t see how it could be made equitable unless those taxes were optional for everyone who doesn’t currently have a child in public school. I don’t think that’s realistic.
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Love the idea that the funding allocated for each student in a public school remains with the student regardless of where they are educated.
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They come those those who have kids. Just like public school
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My wife and I currently homeschooling. We would gladly not pay taxes during our child’s years of education, it does get expensive. With that in mind a credit system partial not whole can kicked back to parents would be beneficial in the success of that child’s education development. Decreasing class room sizes for more unfortunate students that require one on one . Then in turn more kids home more family closeness and community can be formed.
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School choice could be applied to homeschools.
Price per student should be deducted from homeschooled taxes.
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I couldn’t agree more. I have an adopted child of trauma that has dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, fetal alcohol. And because her IQ is above 55 even though she runs out of class and nobody can teacher her in public schools and they are unwilling to follow her IEP, I have nowhere to go because of the state laws and district policies. If I didn’t intervene she would be lost in the system forever. So I quite a six figure job as an educator myself to teach my own child. Such a broken system overall. Parents can teach more in 2 hours at home than 8 hours of indoctrination at school. It should be an option. Even charter and private pay aren’t fully equipped at the practitioner level to support students of great need.
Adding to that companies and institutions that generally give benefits to public school students only, like zoo days or teacher discounts for only public schools.
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Public schools could be made privatized, think basketball sponsors for example. The problem is that we have been led to believe that public schools have never had enough funds. But in reality “there were enough funds for each student to be driven to school in a limo every day” as quoted from Rush Limbaugh. The schools never got the money, most of it was laundered by the deep state, this is the real problem. In addition to all of that the Teachers Unions forced dues on the teachers and all the money went to the Left party making the schools even more divisive. Bottom line, a ton of corruption.
You don’t need a rebate if you aren’t forced to pay it in the first place.
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I think anyone should be allowed to opt out if they aren’t reaping the rewards. If that means the public school system disappears, good.
I’m all for education, but I don’t think that’s something the government should control regardless of who’s in charge, it sets a dangerous precedent.
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Yes. The public school system is the almost singular root for all socialistic tendencies in politics. Being able to opt-out could be a huge step in dismantling this bloated and alienating monster!
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I would love to not have to pay and of the school tax as we do not have children and have taken preventative measures to ensure we don’t have any. We just had a bond pass for 90 million that is ultimately increasing our property taxes for the next 40 years. I’m not thrilled to pay for a bond I voted against and am concerned the property taxes will eventually run us out of our home.
I think that only property owners should be voting on school bonds. If you aren’t having to foot the bill, you don’t get a say. Everyone in the district can vote on school board elections but only property owners in the district vote on bonds.
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I personally don’t want it if it means any further government oversight. We like our freedom and believe the government has no business in the education of our children if we choose. With money always comes rules. No thanks
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I agree with everything you just said but I would like to add this:
By choice I decided not to have children so I have been paying into the system for 44 years. I didn’t mind paying in for the first 13 years because I know someone paid for me but enough is enough and to top that off I’m paying in a state that I didn’t grow up in or know anybody that went to these schools.
As someone who homeschooled the whole way through and now works as a doctor a few years out of med school, I love this — it just needs to be done carefully.
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“Rebate”: should either be a “tax credit” or “deduction”
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- Concern: if it looks like access to free money, parents can and will abuse the system and fail to educate their children; which in turn forces the government to get *more * involved in regulating/monitoring the homeschoolers, which is a step backwards. A tax credit is less easy to abuse. A deduction even safer, if it can be used for a variety of things beyond strict education/textbooks: laptops, sports gear, 4-H activities, music lessons, etc.
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States’ problem: this is ultimately decided on the state level. Not sure how the federal government could or should get involved, but a broad bill could start as the foundation.
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Participation: a corollary to this money back is freedom to participate in the school systems where the money is going. In high school, public school students had free access to community college classes, but we had to pay out of pocket. Same for SAT subject tests, the local school prohibited us from taking the exam, had to go somewhere else farther away to take it. Many students want access to after school programs (band, sports, theater, choir, etc) but are barred
Lots of other details to think about, but those are the first that come to mind
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Homeschool families often have to give up one of the parent’s salary which puts a financial burden on the family. Removing a child from public school opens the classroom to a lower teacher to student ratio which studies have shown has a great effect. I think it would be fair to give some tax credit to homeschool families.
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I’m sorry to hear that, hopefully the changes coming will eliminate your concerns.