Education is an investment in our community. We all pay for it, mostly through taxes. Schools are funded by a combination of federal, state, and local tax dollars. Federal contributions account for around 5% of school funds, whereas state and local contributions make up around 50% and 45% respectively.

When we pay taxes to our locality, like through property tax, some of that money goes toward funding our schools. When we pay taxes to the state, like through income tax, some of that money goes toward funding our schools. To ask someone if they would like taxes to be raised, they would probably respond with an emphatic no. However, if we take a step back and try to see the bigger picture, we have to at least acknowledge what we’re paying for.

School is like a subscription that we all have. Sometimes we forget about that old streaming account that we don’t use anymore. Eventually, we realize we’re being charged and we cancel the subscription. We can’t cancel the subscription to school. It’s built into our legal system. So, how do we get the most out of this service to which we all subscribe?

Attend school every day. Take an active interest in what happens at school. Partner with the school. Volunteer. Make friendships with the people in the school. These suggestions go both ways. More than anything, we must educate ourselves on current public school topics, and develop opinions that are self-driven. As taxpayers, we can influence the prospect that our investment will yield great results. The best way to do this is to form strong bonds.

Parents, get to know your child’s teacher. Teachers, get to know your student’s parents. We all have the same goal: that once we’ve passed the torch, we see that our children do even better than we have. It’s a team effort. As the school counselor at LSES, I’m amazed by how well our community exemplifies this.