I am writing in response to your recent article titled “School taxes are high…but so are our kids test scores. Should we really be that upset?”
The answer is a resounding “Yes!”
I am a 41-year-old, single, professional female.
I have been a Medford resident for 15 years, and I have no kids.
I can hardly pay my electric bill, but the same middle school has about 50 lights lit every night/all night, to light that outdoor walkway!
Why? It’s a waste of money, and it makes me angry.
I have no kids, yet, I pay a few thousand dollars in taxes every year toward schools here.
My salary is not increasing every year, how do they expect to keep raising my school taxes? I have not had a salary increase in four years.
I am looking to move out of Medford, and out of New Jersey.
It breaks my heart, because of all the work I have done with sweat and tears at my home, and all my family is near, but how can I continue to donate more than one month’s salary to schools here, when I have no kids.
I already tithe each month to charities that I choose to give financially to, the local government forcing me to give more money to other people’s kids (who have more money then me) is ridiculous, sad and shameful.
You choose to have kids, you pay for their education.
So editor, to answer your question, should I really be upset?
Christine Powell, LCSW
