Local property tax revenue covers more than a third of all of America’s annual spending on K-12 public schools. But is that a best-case scenario, a necessary evil, or an outdated relic?
A new report from the Lincoln Institute for Land Policy, a nonprofit think tank based in Massachusetts, poses those questions by examining the landscape of school funding in five states. The authors conclude that it makes sense to continue using property taxes to pay for public education—but with some reforms to eliminate existing inequities.
Here’s why this report matters. Property taxes are rising as home values soared during the pandemic and inflation puts the squeeze on consumers’ wallets. Political fights over property taxes are a perennial fixture of election season. And the complexities of school funding may be opaque to educators, even as it undergirds their livelihood.
Education Week
By Mark Lieberman — November 28, 2022