11/3/2009 5:11:00 PM
My Turn: There’s no better deal for schools than School Tax Credit program
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Marc Cooper
Principal at Mingus Union High School.
With taxpayer dollars going to bail out big banks, big brokerage firms, big car companies and subsidizing big fat bonuses for Wall Street executives, wouldn’t it be nice to subsidize an FFA student’s trip to Kansas for a National Competition in speech, or send 25 students to a Shakespeare festival in Utah, a festival that offer our students the opportunity to learn and understand and interpret the language of the Bard, or how about sending several high school students to an Anti Defamation Workshop to bring back information about how to deal with, curb, eliminate racism, bullying, and harassment in our school.
During the school year, over two thirds of our school population participates in some school activity, club, sport or event. These extracurricular activities keep them actively involved and allow them to develop socially and physically under the guidance of qualified sponsors and coaches.
I am sure that many of you visited Mingus Union High School on “Be Me” night, attended a Verde Valley Concert Association event, an athletic event or just stopped by and saw the physical improvements in our school, the new science labs, auditorium, library, remodeled gymnasium, weight room, and new classrooms.
The Bond that our community passed nearly three years ago was only for school facility improvements, not sports, activities or academic programs that enrich the education experience for our students.
As a taxpayer, you can help these programs by contributing to the Arizona School Tax Credit program. This is a program that helps our school generate funds that go directly to the programs that benefit the students directly -- no middle man. You will be directly contributing to our school’s programs and our students. This bodes well for our students, staff and community.
The Arizona School Tax Credit program allows you to donate to an approved extracurricular activity, defined as one that may require enrolled students to pay a fee (travel costs) in order to participate, those that are competitive in nature or are part of a character education program or certain programs that enrich learning beyond the classroom.
We have a list of these programs on our website at http://www.mingusunion.com/. This program allows you, the taxpayer, the opportunity to get the amount you donate deducted from your Arizona State tax bill, providing that you have a tax liability that is in excess of your donation.
Your state tax bill will be reduced by the amount of your donation; if you are entitled to a refund, your refund will be increased by the amount of your donation.
Mingus Union High School will issue you an official tax credit receipt that you attach to your state return as evidence of your donation. Your donation is paid for by the Arizona State Treasury. What a deal!
We know that students who are directly involved in an activity benefit academically, attend school on a regular basis and have a healthy attitude, not only toward school but towards their peers, teachers, family and community. Mingus Union High School offers some of the finest activities available at a high school, award winning Mingus Productions, an outstanding Art Club, a dynamic Drama program, State Championship baseball and wrestling programs and other competitive academic clubs and sports.
Participating in the Arizona School Tax Credit program allows us to keep our tax dollars in our community. The program also allows you, the taxpayer, to designate what extracurricular activity you want your dollars to go to, or you can donate to the general fund.
The statute allows individual taxpayers to receive a tax credit up to $400 ($200 if single) for fees paid directly to the school district for the support of extracurricular activities.
Mingus Union High School is an integral part of the local communities of Cottonwood, Clarkdale, Cornville, Bridgeport and Jerome. Our students bring to our communities something money cannot buy, pride in what we do, pride in who we are, and pride in what we stand for.
Our school’s programs need your help and by participating in the Tax Credit program you will once again be supporting our students.
Go Marauders!
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Posted: Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Article comment by:
Stephan Block
I agree, this is an excellent program, well worth supporting. Thank you Marc Cooper for a well written op-ed...you are an asset to our community.
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