Community Voice: The Struggles of Paying Private School Tuition and Public School Taxes

Families who have children in private schools understand they have a hurdle.

They are paying public school taxes as well as private school tuition. As a parent who has had children in both public and private schools, I feel that the sacrifices we make as a family to allow for a private school education are beneficial. Ensuring that my children receive a quality education is paramount.

Unfortunately, even though Long Islanders pay some of the highest school taxes in the United States, many public school systems are still failing. School taxes continue to rise, and yet the services our children receive continue to dwindle. As a resident not requiring public funding for the education of my children, I believe a tax credit should be given to families who pay into a system they do not use.  

I’m not suggesting that East Meadow residents without children in the public school system not pay school taxes, but I am suggesting that those residents receive a tax deduction or a reduced school tax. Randall Buttner, a long-time resident of East Meadow who is married without any children agrees.

“Why should residents without children in the public school system have to pay the same taxes as other East Meadow families with children attending the public schools?” He goes on to say, “I think we should absolutely contribute to the schools by paying taxes, but at a reduced rate.”

While I agree with Mr. Buttner, I think the impulse of many East Meadow residents might be to retort with a statement about how the better the public school system is rated and the higher the scores of our children on the state tests, the higher our property values will be.

Honestly, I believe that most Americans, given a choice, would live in a community with a reputation for great public schools. It’s a sad reality that many public schools seem ultimately driven to teach our children how to score well on grade level state tests, rather than imbuing them with knowledge and instilling in them a continued thirst for learning.

In public school my sons may not have been afforded the classroom time to be moved and inspired by great authors and great thinkers, though they were taught how to score a level four (the highest level) on their New York State grade level ELA’s (English Language Arts Exam).

I ask you, in the grand scheme of life, which do you think is more important? 

This article was submitted by Cammi L. Clara of the East Meadow Patch Moms Council.