I do not think it should be reduced any further while we have a Republican Governer. IF the budget proposal is approved and funding is cut, than the school district should increase millage if there is a possibility the cut would diminish the quality of our children's education. I think the Governer needs to look for other places to save money, there are many things that have not even been considered.

I have lived in Baldwin over 20 years and have no children. I don't care if your children get an education! If you want them to get a good edcuation, they YOU pay for it. The teachers are all over paid for not teaching and then get a huge pension when they retire. It's not my responsibility to support them. Cut the budget and meanwhile, cut their salaries too.

Darlene,
Are you planning on going on Medicare or Social Security when you retire? Or perhaps if you loose your job or suffer some other tragedy, are you going to apply for assistance? Who paid for your education? If Baldwin does not have a good school district, who will move here, what kind of people would live here? Having a good school district will one day help you sell your house at a good price. The people who move into neighborshoods with poor school districts are not the kind of people I want as neighbors. The quality of education a neiborhood provides is reflective of the neighborhood as a hole. Your vision is too narrow, take the blinders off.

On top of that as a Christian, I would never complain about the contributions I make either by paying my taxes or making private donations to assist the elderly, children and those less fortunate than myself. WWJD.

I am talking about the residents with children being charged a tuition for their children to attend the school. That way renters would have to pay for their children's education just like homeowners. Then there would be no school tax on those who don't have children in school (since we couldn't care less). The school district would be as good as you want to make it, depending on the tuition you pay and the teachers you attract.

By the way, Social Security, Medicare and Assistance is funded thru FICA payments made by people who work for a living.

Darlene, Christina has it right. Money that we pay in school taxes increase the value of where we live and increase the value of your home. Nobody wants to purchase a home in a bad district, regardless if they have children. The schools where you live are a reflection of the community where you live. Also, renters pay for those taxes through the rent they pay. I am sure landlords incorporate that cost and pass it along to their tenants.

You can't charge a tuition on a public education.

I guess you don't realize how many Section 8 rentals there are in Baldwin. Their rent won't incorporate school taxes.

The taxes are not a reflection on the neighborhood. Most people look at the amount of taxes we pay for schools and look elsewhere for cheaper taxes. Upper St. Clair and Mt. Lebanon are cheaper than Baldwin! Baldwin and South Park are probably the two highest school districts in Allegheny County.

In my opinion, only those that have children in school should be paying taxes to that district.

You really should get your facts strait, here is a link to 2010 School District Tax Millage for Allegheny County.
http://www.alleghenycounty.us/treasure/millsd.asp

Who paid for your education? If you recieved public education, just think of your current school taxes as payment for your own education.

I attended the March 9 board meeting at which the board majority, including Mr. Pry, voted to spend $20,000 for a promotional DVD to be sent to local realtors. Justification was that we have the money now so we can afford it, but an hour later he's OK with a possible tax hike. I don't get it. Regardless, every extra penny this district has must be invested in education to turn around the unacceptable slide in test scores over the last few years. Darlene seems to forget that one of the key foundations of this country was the recognition that we all share some responsibility to educate the next generation, even if not our own kids, because that next generation keeps us all moving forward.

I think I would agree to paying more for our children's educations if their were an accountability piece attached . At the local level there really is no accountability. It leaves the door wide open to spend as they see fit. It is one thing to have a really nice building and all new fields for sports and a great promotional dvd, but it is what that comes out of the building that matters. If our children don't get the education they deserve what do we expect for their future? We only get one chance to educate our children. You can't tell someone entering kindergarten next year that we are sorry we have to cut kindergarten right now but maybe down the road we will have funds for the program again, by then it is too late. And isn't there some saying about our children being the future leaders of America? Do we want a group of "adequately" educated kids running our country for us in the future?

From reader "joe szpara":

"Use the money from the casino that was supposed to be used to reduce property taxes, or freeze the wages for the school employees until the casino money comes through. Property owners can not always take the fall for all the money problems that exist."