Keeping the Faith (Parochial/Private schools and Tax Relief)

New York Times ^ | July 10, 2005 | ERIN HARRINGTON

[Mrs. Don-o]

..St. Bernard in Levittown, the School of the Holy Spirit in New Hyde Park and St. Joachim in Cedarhurst... These schools join the 22 Catholic schools in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens that are being closed for good.

Finances are to blame, at least on Long Island. The elementary schools just can't afford to operate any longer on the $3,000-per-child average annual tuition... tuition is already a stretch, especially on top of property taxes, meant primarily to cover the budgets of public schools, that are among the highest in the nation. For the Catholic schools to survive, parents need to get a break from onerous school taxes...

I don't care what religion you practice, or don't, these closings are a shame because parochial schools offer an alternative to public schools and consistently provide a good education....

[Mrs. Don-o]

As a lower-middle-class, single-income family, we've opted for homeschooling, while still (voluntarily) making very modest donaions to our parish achool as well. Because we trongly suport the independence of homeschooling and par-[chial schooling, my husband and I have always opposed "voucher" systems which woul inevitably extend evualuation, regulation, and resriction on the private options.

However, tax relief may be a different deal altogether. Maybe it would help us get moe school choice without involving the governemnt entanglement which would be fatal to those choices.

Class, discuss.

:-)

[Mrs. Don-o]

Sorry for all the typos (sigh) -- in a hurry, k'ynow...

[clearsight]

The public school system is a socialistic system where all property owners are forced by threat of property confiscation (police powers given to school districts) to participate.
Tax breaks for non-users of services provided by the school districts ????? forget it; It is SOCIALISM, WE ARE DEALING WITH HERE............SILLY........