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Do Home Schoolers Deserve a Tax Break?
New York Times ^ | January 5, 2011 07:46 AM

Posted on 01/05/2011 8:30:21 AM PST by Sopater

The new Republicans in Congress have vowed to challenge the federal role in American public education, and said they will seek to turn more power over to the states on many fronts. But one of their priorities is a new federal rule: to give parents in every state tax credits if their children are home-schooled.

Previous efforts in Congress to adopt a nationwide tax break have failed, and currently only three states -- Illinois, Louisiana and Minnesota -- allow some benefit for home schooling.

Will the idea succeed in the new Congress, given some conservatives' longtime opposition, on the grounds that the credits might open the door to more government regulation of education? How would such a system work? Is it a threat to public education, as its critics claim?

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: education; homeschool; taxes
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The discussion begins with the necessity of testing.

Although I don't think that low test scores could always be corrected by sending a homeschooled child back to public school, history has shown that homeschooled children excel in standardized testing when compared to their gov't schooled counterparts.

Personally, I think that to get the "tax credit", all you should have to do is not participate in the gov't school system.
1 posted on 01/05/2011 8:30:22 AM PST by Sopater
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To: Sopater

How would oversite be provided to make sure the funds were used for what they say? Wouldn’t this also lessen the tax revenues available for other costs?


2 posted on 01/05/2011 8:32:27 AM PST by stuartcr (When politicians politicize issues, aren't they just doing their job?)
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To: Sopater

Yes.


3 posted on 01/05/2011 8:33:24 AM PST by Danae (Anailnathrach, orth' bhais's bethad, do chel denmha)
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To: Shimmer1

ping


4 posted on 01/05/2011 8:33:34 AM PST by null and void (We are now in day 715 of our national holiday from reality. - 0bama really isn't one of US.)
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To: Sopater

Change the federal role in education?

How about ELIMINATING it the federal role in education!!! There is no such Constitutional authority!

I want a tax break on my PROPERTY taxes assessed by my town, because I have NINE children all homeschooled, and two of them “special needs”. They would’ve cost the school collective, at $20,000 per year per normal student and $100,000 per year per special needs student, $360,000 per year!!

Instead, I’m required by threat of force to pay $5301 this year, just for the school collective part of my tax.


5 posted on 01/05/2011 8:37:00 AM PST by Westbrook (Having children does not divide your love, it multiplies it.)
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To: Sopater

Duh.


6 posted on 01/05/2011 8:37:51 AM PST by BibChr ("...behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, so what wisdom is in them?" [Jer. 8:9])
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To: Sopater; metmom

NO.

With government money comes government control. Keep your money; just leave me and my family alone.


7 posted on 01/05/2011 8:40:21 AM PST by JenB
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To: JenB

Amen. You know that along with the tax credit would come all kinds of “accountability” provisions that amount to government control. Federal money never comes without strings.


8 posted on 01/05/2011 8:49:18 AM PST by Oberon (Big Brutha Be Watchin'.)
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To: JenB

You took the words right out of my mouth. I wholeheartedly agree with you...a resounding NO!

Strings are always attached to government handouts.


9 posted on 01/05/2011 8:49:43 AM PST by Tucker822
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To: Sopater

Yes.

Next question


10 posted on 01/05/2011 8:49:52 AM PST by GeronL (How DARE you have an opinion!!)
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To: JenB
With government money comes government control. Keep your money; just leave me and my family alone.

I believe that "tax breaks" are equated with "kepping MY money". At least that's my opinion. Best option would be to get the federal gov't out of education all together.
11 posted on 01/05/2011 8:50:51 AM PST by Sopater (...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. - 2 COR 3:17b)
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To: Westbrook
Change the federal role in education?

How about ELIMINATING it the federal role in education!!! There is no such Constitutional authority!


Sure, but in the mean time we just pay and complain.
12 posted on 01/05/2011 8:51:42 AM PST by Sopater (...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. - 2 COR 3:17b)
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To: GeronL

Yes. It is not government money, it is my money. But only if there are no government strings or oversight attached.


13 posted on 01/05/2011 8:52:10 AM PST by jays911
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To: Sopater

How about those of us that pay property tax to support the local school but send our kids to private school?

Do we get a tax break too?


14 posted on 01/05/2011 8:54:39 AM PST by mom4melody
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To: Sopater

I agree that getting the feds out of education is the best idea. However, they will never just let homeschoolers have a no-strings tax break. There will be paperwork, required supervision, checks to see that approved subjects are taught.... and six gets you twelve that the words “separation of church and state” come into play really fast to ban homeschoolers from teaching their kids from Christian curriculumn.


15 posted on 01/05/2011 8:55:39 AM PST by JenB
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To: Sopater

Only if people without children receive the same break.


16 posted on 01/05/2011 8:55:46 AM PST by Psycho_Bunny (Hail To The Fail-In-Chief)
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To: Sopater

What home schoolers need is to be left alone.


17 posted on 01/05/2011 8:57:35 AM PST by lurk
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To: Sopater

Do childless people also get a tax credit?


18 posted on 01/05/2011 8:57:35 AM PST by Yo-Yo (Is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
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To: stuartcr

I hope it lessens tax revenue as they add no cost and reduce teachers time and effort.

Since most of the cost is wasted in government bureaucracy we need to starve the beast.


19 posted on 01/05/2011 8:59:51 AM PST by edcoil (Democrat's and vampires should never be invited in your home.)
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To: Sopater

I agree. All persons who do not have students in the government schools should be given some sort of tax reduction.


20 posted on 01/05/2011 9:00:19 AM PST by Tax-chick (The gifts we have, we are given to share.)
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