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It seems like there's an awful lot of useful improvement in the space between "doing nothing" and "redistributing wealth", so I commend the DISD for not letting perfect be the enemy of good.

Hey so I'm all with you on the fact that inequity is the real problem here. But I also volunteer at an after school program at the school my wife teaches at because these kids often don't have a stable home life to go to after school. It does make a difference, and in my experience it's been very effective at helping the kids (elementary age) in this school get their homework done on time, it's reduced behavior problems, and it gives them a reason to like school. Ours is a 2 day per week program where the kids can choose to be in one of about 25 different special interest clubs (I run the computer science club) and the kids get snacks and two extra hours of time they can be safe at school instead of (often) alone at home.

Babysitting does improve home life.

Dallas and most of Texas have some of the highest property taxes in the country. Raising property taxes a couple percent would be... unreasonable.