Playing chicken
The Wimberley (Texas) district, like many districts that are considered high-wealth under the state’s school finance system, doesn’t like sending its money away to other districts. They call it the Robin Hood system, as in “rob from the rich, give to the poor.” The Dallas Morning News reports that Wimberley doesn’t want to give any more, so the school board says it will not be delivering its first 2008 payment–about $3.1 million in local property taxes–to the state. It’s due Feb. 15.
Other districts have grumbled about having to pay, and have threatened not to pay, but no one has ever actually withheld a payment. The consequences of refusing payment? State Education Commissioner Robert Scott will be required to take steps to dissolve the 2,000-student school district and annex it to a neighboring district.
What do you think?
Should the school board withhold the payment? Leave a comment below.
January 28th, 2008 @ 5:15 pm
Isn’t every tax collection system a “Robin Hood” system? They all collect money into a pot and redistribute it based on need and priorities. Maybe the mistake Texas made was making the process so blatant–each district knows exactly how much “extra” they are giving and which “have-nots” are getting it? Anyway, this school board is out of line, unless their true desire is to have their school system dissolved. I guess as part of a different district, “Robin Hood” won’t be stealing as much from them, but I’ll bet these same people will be back complaining about how they don’t like how the “new” district is running things.
January 29th, 2008 @ 11:45 am
An employee from a Texas district writes:
“Yes– if all school districts would withhold payments to the state, the state would be forced to act, and hopefully would improve the school funding.”