When people say, “You get what you pay for,” it is usually with a sigh and a shrug. In one instance, it may be someone bemoaning a the fate of an object that seemed a like such a good deal until it was broken. On another occasion, it may be an acknowledgement that higher price tags yield better quality.

So what are we, as taxpayers, getting with our education dollars? In California, annual per-pupil spending is over $10,000, and that figure tends to hover around the national average.

Drop out rates are high nationwide. For $10,000 + per year, you might think that schools could find ways to retain student interest, but it doesn’t seem to be happening. The NY Times even published this article claiming that states give 2 sets of numbers about the dropout rate:

California, for example, sends to Washington an official graduation rate of 83 percent but reports an estimated 67 percent on a state Web site. Delaware reported 84 percent to the federal government but publicized four lower rates at home.

That must be the new math they keep talking about. I heard an administrator talking about it on a talk radio station and by the time she was done, my head hurt from all the explanations of how they come up with different figures.

On most grading scales, 67% is a D.

Since it is almost tax time, I am thinking about how much each of us is paying for that D.  Hmmm, we have federal income tax, state income tax, sales tax and property tax. As a small business owner, I pay payroll taxes on behalf of our employees, property and income taxes for the business. There are probably other taxes too (feel free to leave a comment and remind me–I’m not depressed enough!). I don’t smoke, so I avoid paying that tax, but I know there are many small taxes built into our daily lives that we don’t even think about much.

Our tax dollars fund the education of most of the children in America. That is true whether you homeschool independently, use a charter school, send your kids to private school or if you don’t even have children.

When you write out that check next week to pay even more taxes, ask yourself this about the education system: Am I getting what I paid for?

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