[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 29, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E939-E940]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  STATEMENT BY ACACIA FANTO REGARDING THE FINANCING OF PUBLIC SCHOOL 
                               EDUCATION

                                 ______


                          HON. BERNARD SANDERS

                               of vermont

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 29, 1996

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, for the benefit of my colleagues I would 
like to have printed in the Record this statement by Acacia Fanto, a 
high school student from Brattleboro, VT, who was speaking at my recent 
town meeting on issues facing young people.

       My name is Acacia Fanto, and my topic is property tax 
     funding of public school education.
       Primary funding of public school education through property 
     tax is inherently unfair. There are huge differences in 
     property wealth from district to district. Based on this 
     funding system . . . unequal from one area to another. The 
     amount of money spent on education is a significant factor in 
     determining the quality of education. Money is necessary to 
     hire good teachers, buy the latest textbooks, get the latest 
     classroom equipment, and attract good administrators. Despite 
     this, cuts are prevalent everywhere. The biggest cuts are in 
     arts, extracurricular activities and technology.
       If money is a significant factor of a good education, and 
     money is the biggest variable from one public school to 
     another, then education quality is not equal in this country. 
     The differences from one district to another are astonishing. 
     There are tremendous disparities based on where you live. The 
     property tax funding system is making it difficult for many 
     areas to meet even basic educational needs, at a time when 
     more and more money is needed for special programs. We need 
     these programs in schools to deal with the problems of today, 
     such as violence, teen pregnancy and broken families. All 
     these necessities take money away from academic programs.
       Property tax funding of public school education is not only 
     unfair, but also a regressive funding system, one that often 
     turns homeowners against schools because they don't want, or 
     can't afford, to have their property taxes raised. The 
     property tax funding system is unfair, unequal and 
     ineffective, so alternatives need to be sought. The Robin 
     Hood plan shifts money from wealthy districts to poorer ones, 
     to try to equalize funding. This plan turns the ``haves'' 
     against the ``have-nots,'' and injects race and class into 
     the equity funding fight. A statewide property tax, or income 
     tax, could turn the problem from a local funding issue to a 
     state one. These solutions would decrease inequalities within 
     a state, but not within the country.
       An alternative to the property tax funding system which 
     would provide consistency, and would eliminate the 
     unfairness, inequalities, and the opposition between the 
     ``haves'' and

[[Page E940]]

     the ``have-nots,'' would be a federal progressive income tax 
     system. People would be taxed based on a percentage of their 
     income, then the money raised would be distributed fairly 
     among the districts by the federal government.
       In the search for a fair alternative, the first step that 
     needs to be taken is to change America's attitude towards 
     education. Education needs to be valued by this society in 
     order to demonstrate its value to its youth. When money is 
     spent on education, its value shines through, and creates a 
     positive outcome in the future. We need to be able to put the 
     funding issue behind us, so that the issue can become how to 
     deliver best education possible. Instead of working to help 
     the people, government is working against us, at a time when 
     America is trying to create an educational system which 
     responds to the future needs of America's youth. The 
     government passed cuts in education, while at the same time 
     approving bigger budgets for construction of prisons. 
     Government needs to take a look at the long term effect of 
     what it cuts and what it supports. If would support our 
     youth, keep them in school and educate them, we may not have 
     such growing need for prisons.
       Equal opportunity is the basis of this country's ideals, 
     but by looking at our schools, you wouldn't know it. This 
     unfair educational system is based on the unequal 
     distribution of money in our schools caused by the property 
     tax funding system. The U.S. has created a caste system of 
     public education that is increasingly separate and unequal. 
     We must work to make this a country of equal opportunity.

                          ____________________