S/O faking the address for the good cluster

[Anonymous]

Spinning off that previous thread, do you think that people who pay a premium for their house because it's in a certain school cluster therefore have a right to better schools?

[Anonymous]

Sure, if they want to form their own county or district. If not, everyone in the same county/district paying the same taxes has a right to the same quality of schools.

In this area, the cost of housing is tied to lots of other things, not just schools. Proximity to transportation, recreation, amenities and other conveniences all bring the cost of housing up. In moco, the Bethesda/CC clusters are also very close to the city and transportation, all commanding higher cost for housing. These areas also have a fair number of "lower cost" housing options as well.

How are you defining "better schools"? Every school in moco has a pool of high performing students. At some schools, this pool is small thus you'll see this reflected in test scores and rankings. These numbers do not suggest that these school are bad, only that they have a lower percentage of high performing students.

Check and see how many kids get were accepted at Ivy Leagues at the "better schools" in moco over the last few years. The numbers will surprise you. This year, I know two students from what would be considered an "okay" moco school who were accepted to 2 Ivys.

Take off the blinders and don't believe the hype.

[Anonymous]

No I don't think that, although I did buy my house to stay in the Whitman district. It's MCPS curriculum. Its over capacity. Many less desirable schools have much nicer buildings. The difference, i think, is the student body.

[Anonymous]

It is not a right to better school, it's more about following the rules
You can't inore the fact that school assignment does affect RE prices, so yeah, I understand why peple might be pissed off when someone lies to get to better school.

to 22:57 - schools are funded trough property taxes (read %% of property value), so taxes paid are not the same

[Anonymous]

The people who pay a premium to buy or rent in a certain school cluster have the right to send their children to the schools in that cluster. The people who don't buy or rent in that cluster do not. It really isn't rocket science. There are rules and it is never acceptable to ignore them simply because you don't like your current options. In MoCo, all the schools are pretty good overall so your property taxes are buying you a solid experience whereever you are zoned. If you want something specific, you have to move and, possibly, fork over more cash.

[Anonymous]

To the people saying "It's about the rules": Almost everybody breaks rules all the time. What rules do you break? If somebody reported you for breaking those rules, how would you feel?

Since schools are funded mostly through property taxes, does that mean that people who rent have less of a right to the schools than people who own? Does that mean that people who own property that is worth less have less of a right to a good school than people who own property that is worth more?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the people saying "It's about the rules": Almost everybody breaks rules all the time. What rules do you break? If somebody reported you for breaking those rules, how would you feel?

Since schools are funded mostly through property taxes, does that mean that people who rent have less of a right to the schools than people who own? Does that mean that people who own property that is worth less have less of a right to a good school than people who own property that is worth more?

I'm an immigrant from the country where there were law and "unspoken rules", and everybody lived by the rules, not law.
Trust me, we blessed here, in this country where law is actually inforced, not just used when officials wants to punish somebody

Yes, we all break the law sometimes, but there are always a consiquences for that action. Basically, if you break the law, be prepared to pay the price.

Owners of the rental properties pay the taxes (at even higher rate), and probably charge premium rent for location too. Don't see an issue here.

[Anonymous]

I'm the OP. I didn't intend for the question to be about people who fake their addresses or break the rules to get into a specific school, but rather about whether people think that if they pay more in property taxes they have the right to better schools. I happen to think they don't, personally. Also, there seems to be a poster on here who thinks that the reason, say, Whitman is considered a better cluster is that its neighborhoods are worth more and pay more in property taxes. This is not correct. All Montgomery County taxes go to fund all the schools. Their taxes don't buy them better schools any more than they buy them better trash removal, park maintenance, or tree trimming.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, I don't get your point.
1.They do pay more in propert taxes simply because their property value is higher than let say Germantown ones.
2. They (I) don't think about the right to better school. People pay more for housing (and taxes) if they think they can buy better opportunity for their kids (whatever that means - enviroment/community, more AP classes, you name it)
It's not a right to better school.
3. Due to variaty of factors better school are usually in richer neighborhoods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I don't get your point.
1.They do pay more in propert taxes simply because their property value is higher than let say Germantown ones.
2. They (I) don't think about the right to better school. People pay more for housing (and taxes) if they think they can buy better opportunity for their kids (whatever that means - enviroment/community, more AP classes, you name it)
It's not a right to better school.
3. Due to variaty of factors better school are usually in richer neighborhoods.

Of course that depends on how skilled their tax accountant is at tax write offs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I don't get your point.
1.They do pay more in propert taxes simply because their property value is higher than let say Germantown ones.
2. They (I) don't think about the right to better school. People pay more for housing (and taxes) if they think they can buy better opportunity for their kids (whatever that means - enviroment/community, more AP classes, you name it)
It's not a right to better school.
3. Due to variaty of factors better school are usually in richer neighborhoods.

Of course that depends on how skilled their tax accountant is at tax write offs.[/quote]

For property taxes? That doesn't even make sense, it's based on assessments which are done by the county. I suppose you can appeal your assessment, but not sure how many people are doing that and how many appeals are successful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I don't get your point.
1.They do pay more in propert taxes simply because their property value is higher than let say Germantown ones.
2. They (I) don't think about the right to better school. People pay more for housing (and taxes) if they think they can buy better opportunity for their kids (whatever that means - enviroment/community, more AP classes, you name it)
It's not a right to better school.
3. Due to variaty of factors better school are usually in richer neighborhoods.

Of course that depends on how skilled their tax accountant is at tax write offs.

Huh? Don't see much room for write-off there... Care to elaborate?
http://www6.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgtmpl.asp?url=/content/finance/CountyTaxes/InfoTaxes/faqtaxes.ASP#credit

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the OP. I didn't intend for the question to be about people who fake their addresses or break the rules to get into a specific school, but rather about whether people think that if they pay more in property taxes they have the right to better schools. I happen to think they don't, personally. Also, there seems to be a poster on here who thinks that the reason, say, Whitman is considered a better cluster is that its neighborhoods are worth more and pay more in property taxes. This is not correct. All Montgomery County taxes go to fund all the schools. Their taxes don't buy them better schools any more than they buy them better trash removal, park maintenance, or tree trimming.

True but let me explain why my son would do better in the Whitman district

My son was reading "below grade level" from the perspective of the educational specialist. My son did not fall below the 40% threashold in "our school" so he did not qualify for services. He was still in the top 60% at his school.

He would have been considered way behind in the Whitman's elementary school district and gotten services. Was it fair - no, did I have a case - no. He is still getting an "appropriate" education as defined by the government. So the Whitman elementary school does get the same $$ but "our school" runs out of their money faster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I don't get your point.
1.They do pay more in propert taxes simply because their property value is higher than let say Germantown ones.
2. They (I) don't think about the right to better school. People pay more for housing (and taxes) if they think they can buy better opportunity for their kids (whatever that means - enviroment/community, more AP classes, you name it)
It's not a right to better school.
3. Due to variaty of factors better school are usually in richer neighborhoods.

Of course that depends on how skilled their tax accountant is at tax write offs.

Huh? Don't see much room for write-off there... Care to elaborate?
http://www6.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgtmpl.asp?url=/content/finance/CountyTaxes/InfoTaxes/faqtaxes.ASP#credit

Do you have an "office in your home"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I don't get your point.
1.They do pay more in propert taxes simply because their property value is higher than let say Germantown ones.
2. They (I) don't think about the right to better school. People pay more for housing (and taxes) if they think they can buy better opportunity for their kids (whatever that means - enviroment/community, more AP classes, you name it)
It's not a right to better school.
3. Due to variaty of factors better school are usually in richer neighborhoods.

Of course that depends on how skilled their tax accountant is at tax write offs.

Huh? Don't see much room for write-off there... Care to elaborate?
http://www6.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgtmpl.asp?url=/content/finance/CountyTaxes/InfoTaxes/faqtaxes.ASP#credit

Do you have an "office in your home"?

and that affect my property tax bill how?