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Calculating Savings

NABR (Non-Partisan Action for a Better Redding) has a better idea, and a calculator to go along with it.

Having set out to improve educational opportunities in Redding, the non-profit volunteer group, with assistance from the Yankee Institute, developed a proposal that would, according to their a descriptive text on their site, provide “a significant grant to those parents who send children to private schools while simultaneously and proportionally reducing the Town budget and thus benefiting all taxpayers, including Seniors without children in school.”

In Joel Barlow, one of Redding’s schools, it cost a student$16,093 to send one student to the school for a year. However, if the student attends a private school instead, the parents receive a $5,364 grant, the town is required to reduce its budget by $5,364 and $5,364 remains with Joel Barlow to support fixed overhead costs such as electricity, heating, etc.

It is an equal opportunity plan that benefits all affected parties.

Students and parents are given a broader choice of schools; parents receive financial support if they choose private schooling; Redding taxpayers benefit because the town budget is reduced; fewer students in public schools reduce the need for expansion, new schools or additions; and, best of all, the resulting competitive pressure benefits students who continue to attend public schools.

In addition to the plan developed in concert with the Yankee Institute, NABR now is offering on its site a calculator that crunches the numbers and discloses how much money any town might save under its plan. The savings are substantial.

For those looking for a better idea in saving money on the spirling costs of public education, both a descriptiuon of the plan as well as the downloadable calculator (along with simple directions) are available at the NABR site.

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