Thomas Jefferson: School Expenses
on Tuesday, December 22, 2020Thomas Jefferson Money Quote saying school costs should be paid by those who benefit from the local educational system. Thomas Jefferson said:
“The expenses of schools should be borne by the inhabitants of the county, every one in proportion to his general tax-rate. This would throw on wealth the education of the poor” — Thomas Jefferson
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This quote suggests that Thomas Jefferson believed the costs of public schools should be funded through local property taxes paid by county residents. He appears to be proposing that everyone contribute based on how much tax they already pay on their property, which would effectively mean wealthier landowners subsidizing the education of children from poorer families.
Jefferson seems to have felt it was appropriate for those with greater means (“wealth”) to help cover the schooling expenses of those in poverty, seeing basic education as a benefit that could be supported through redistribution of resources at a local level according to one’s assets. The quote conveys Jefferson’s view that property taxes were a justified way to generate educational opportunities for all socioeconomic classes in a community.
Birthday: April 13, 1743 – Death: July 4, 1826