Is it Stealing?

[gemmie214]

If you use another person’s address to send your child to a better school district, would that be considered stealing?

I think it would be, I know of school districts that have taken families to court for this and the courts have ordered the families to pay back "tuition".
So the courts think it is stealing.

Do you?

 

[agnes!]

Yes, it's stealing.

agnes!

 

[SwedishMeatball]

Yes, it is dishonest and I would consider it a form of cheating.

 

[mrsv98]

Several high school students in our area were expelled for just this reason. Their parents were using relative's addresses to get their kids in the "right" school. As a result, the kids lost nearly 1/2 or an academic year while the familes and schools fought back and forth. Its not worth it IMO, too much risk beyond any ethical issues.

 

[ZuZugal]

Even though something physical has not been taken, I would consider it lying and cheating. Our elementary school has a set tuition for those who live outside of the district and want their kids to attend this school. Is it actual "stealing"? Not sure.

 

[luvtogo12]

Maybe "theft of services"? Not sure about that but in my opinion, it is stealing.

 

[gemmie214]

I feel that something physical is taken when someone does this. For example the resources that were used to educate the "out of district child" could have been used for something or someone else. Those resources were stolen.

 

[Luv'sTink]

Not stealing. Dishonest yes. Can't you just get a waiver?

 

[Daxx]

Is it "stealing" if I own property in a different district, am paying school taxes and want to send my kids to that school district? For example, I own 3 houses in 3 separate school districts. While I might not be living in two of the three houses, I am paying school taxes in each district. Do I have a right to send my child to a school district in which I have property and am paying school taxes in?

For the record, I am sending my child to a private school in my area.

Here's another question that my single, childless SIL would love an answer on ...

What about the person paying school taxes who has no children attending school and never will? Why should they have to pay for someone else's kids to go to school?

 

[DVC-Don]

We've had people arrested for this.

 

[ZipaDeeDooDah]

Not so much stealing, but definitely fraud.

 

[Beth76]

Is it "stealing" if I own property in a different district, am paying school taxes and want to send my kids to that school district? For example, I own 3 houses in 3 separate school districts.

No, that is not stealing since you are paying the property tax. I wouldn't think so anyway.

What about the person paying school taxes who has no children attending school and never will? Why should they have to pay for someone else's kids to go to school?

Well everyone pays for public services even if they don't use them. Public school is one of those things.

ETA: OP, are you concerned about the actual term "stealing"? Or are you just asking if it's wrong/against the law. Because it's definitely wrong, whether or not the legal term is "stealing", I'm not sure.

 

[Acklander]

What about the person paying school taxes who has no children attending school and never will? Why should they have to pay for someone else's kids to go to school?

For the same reason why you pay taxes for the fire department, even if you never have a fire, or paying taxes for road repair if you walk everywhere, or pay for parks when you don't use them - because thats how you vote for your property taxes to be spent so that you have a nice community for everyone in the comunity. Look at it this way, if someone who never intends to have kids, didn't contribute to the schools, and only those who used the park contributed to it, and so on then the community as a whole would suffer and be in disrepair and property values would tank out - so it's in everyones best interest to pay for a nice community.

 

[Luv'sTink]

We've had people arrested for this.

WHERE do you people live that have seen people be arrested for this?

Here if a child goes to a daycare facility in the area of a school they go to that school whether they live in that district or not. Here people can and do get waivers to go to different schools.

Either way the State pays for the child to go to school, I am not sure it matters where. Don't schools receive funding per student, not per student who lives in the area?

 

[Toby'sFriend]

school funding is done differently in different parts of the Nation.

In Illinois, a good chunk of school funding comes from the Property Taxes of the residents of that particular District. So when somebody who doesn't live in the District finds a way to enroll their children in that District -- then the people who live there are paying to educate a non-resident.

There are exceptions made for children that do actually live with their Grandparents etc. a good portion of the time. There are specific guidelines about how many days a week they have to sleep on the premises -- etc.

I think that technically yes, it is stealing in that case.

Is it "stealing" if I own property in a different district, am paying school taxes and want to send my kids to that school district? For example, I own 3 houses in 3 separate school districts. While I might not be living in two of the three houses, I am paying school taxes in each district. Do I have a right to send my child to a school district in which I have property and am paying school taxes in?

Here they do ask to see the address on your Driver's Liscense and a utility bill showing that the property is being occupied - but I would think those items would be pretty easy to get if you do own the property. So yes, I think you have the right to choose.

I know people here that will rent an efficiency apartment in a school district to have a physical address for their kid to show at registration. I think that they are staying within the law by doing so.

 

[poohandwendy]

Here, you can't even just pay property taxes/utilities/etc on a home in that district, you have to use that property as your primary residence. My cousin bought a second home to get her son in a better school district and they literally had to live in that home for at least 9 months of the year to qualify (long story, they didn't want to give up their original home and they were prominent business owners, so it's not like people wouldn't figure out they weren't living in the second home- but I am sure some people have gotten away with it)

As to what the OP describes, yes...stealing is taking what is not yours.

 

[Daxx]

Is it "stealing" if I own property in a different district, am paying school taxes and want to send my kids to that school district? For example, I own 3 houses in 3 separate school districts. While I might not be living in two of the three houses, I am paying school taxes in each district. Do I have a right to send my child to a school district in which I have property and am paying school taxes in?

No, that is not stealing since you are paying the property tax. I wouldn't think so anyway.

Just playing Devil's Advocate here ... (and this is not directed to Beth76 in any way, shape, or form!) ...

if Mom and Dad live and pay taxes in a district w/the the A-#1 school in the area and you decide you want to send your kids to that school, then why would that be considered "stealing"? After all, they're paying taxes fin their district and you're paying taxes in your district.

 

[Lanshark]

This is a very poor example to set for the child attending the school. What Mom and Dad are basically saying is that if you want something, even if you're not entitled to you, it's ok to do whatever it takes to get it.

As a parent, I'd be worried about sending the wrong message to my child.

 

[Daxx]

Here, you can't even just pay property taxes/utilities/etc on a home in that district, you have to use that property as your primary residence.

Yes, that's the same here, too. But many schools are perfectly content w/the tax info. and a utility bill in your name that shows "history" of being there. I don't think they really "watch" the house ... but I could be wrong! I only know of one person (my niece) who is doing this. At one point, she and her husband were living w/her mom for a year but now they've moved and they're just using her mom's address in order to stay in that school. It really isn't my business, but it ticks me off.

ETA -- Just remembered that my cousin was doing this. She didn't like the two schools in her area, so her Mom enrolled her in Grandma's school district. A friend of the family decided to turn her in. Her mom was emphatic that she was living w/Grandma due to the hours Mom worked and if I remember correctly, the school really looked into it. My cousin decided to move in w/Grandma for the first year they did this b/c she knew they were keeping "tabs" on her. After that first year, she moved home but would walk to Grandma's after school every day. Her mom would pick her up later that afternoon. After that first year, they never questioned her living w/Grandma nor checked up on her. I think that, had she not been blown in, nothing would've come of the situation!

 

[poohandwendy]

Just playing Devil's Advocate here ... (and this is not directed to Beth76 in any way, shape, or form!) ...

if Mom and Dad live and pay taxes in a district w/the the A-#1 school in the area and you decide you want to send your kids to that school, then why would that be considered "stealing"? After all, they're paying taxes fin their district and you're paying taxes in your district.

Well, think about it this way. What if ALL of the grandparentsin the A-1 district decided to add their grandkids to the school roster?

In the case of my cousin, I remember them saying it was about being invested in the community. Not just school taxes paid.