<p>NM doesn’t fund schools on property taxes. It collects income taxes from everyone plus adds in taxes on mineral extractions (mostly natural gas and coal), then redistributes the funds to schools based on funding formula and a head count of students on the 90th day of school.</p>
<p>Smooths out some of the inequitable funding of “rich” vs “poor” schools.</p>
<p>Local property taxes by law can only fund capital improvements for schools.</p>
<p>Funding method came about after a very high level lawsuit that IIRC went all the way to federal court of appeals.</p>
<p>How come Texas, a neighboring state of NM, which also has a lot of natural resources (isn’t it a big oil state?!), does not do that. (Texas funds seconday/elementary schools on property tax.)</p>
<p>Maybe the reason is (my wild guess here): percentage wise, there are still not enough URMs in Texas as today, as compared to NM. Wait a couple of decades, and they will likely have more clout. Isn’t it true that even G. W. Bush, a Republican President, was trying hard to get their votes during his election? (Laura Bush seems to be from that ethnic group, at least partly.) Let alone those Democrat ones. (The fact is their mothers are more “productive” despite the fact that they tend to be poorer as a group :))</p>
<p>Hmm…Maybe another reason is Texas has too many big and powerful companies headquartered in Houston, which bring jobs, as well as “inequality” in the eyes of those who are not willing to accept the “trickle down” only.</p>
<p>The fight for secondary school’s funding (which has a nick name “Robin Hood.”) here has been going on for decades and it seems it will not be settled any time soon: We just have one band-aids after another.</p>
<p>I def. noticed that in my hometown. My hometown kept property taxes really high which made our schools great. It also attracted a lot of affluent families to my hometown. High school was like living in a bubble because everyone was pretty much in the same socioeconomic group. </p>
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<p>After each census, republicans in Texas, restructure congressional districts that help increase their power. For example they may split a district that has a lot of democrats, and which would normally elect democrats, (usually URM areas) into 2 separate districts so that the majority of voters in both districts are Republicans, and thus both districts elect Republicans. This is easier to do in Texas’s northern areas but virtually impossible to do in South Texas simply because most areas near south texas (near brownsville) are 90+ percent URM who almost always vote for the democratic party.</p>
<p>Not really sure if this goes on as much in other states, because I haven’t really looked up other states.</p>
<p>You need to visit colleges, talk to current students and see where you fit the best. The rest is pretty much irrelevant, as your success at colle will depends mostly on you. And if you are happy at the place, it will be easier to accomplish. Also, ACT of 27 with your GPA tells me that you did not prepare for ACT. You shuld prepare before re-take.</p>