Argues that sales taxes should be used to fund public school education in Pennsylvania.
This paper argues that property tax should be eliminated as a revenue source for Pennsylvania’s public state schools. Instead, sales taxes should be used to fund public school education. The paper shows skyrocketing property taxes have led to Pennsylvania’s current debate surrounding public school funding. While critics differ greatly in their proposed solutions, most people involved in the debate agree on one thing: Pennsylvania’s school revenue system is in need of revision.
Critics argue that Pennsylvania teachers are paid extremely well, and yet their salaries are not linked to competency or performance. Teachers in Pennsylvania are earning the highest average wage in the country, when wages are adjusted for the cost of living. The average teacher in Pennsylvania has a purchasing power of $52,832. Teachers are paid according to salary schedules negotiated by unions, and mediocre or poor teachers earn the same salaries as excellent teachers (Commonwealth Foundation).