D

D

Explanation

D
The author is arguing to nix the plan to improve the schools. We want to strengthen his argument, but before we do, there is usually at least one answer choice that actually weakens the argument. It is helpful to get rid of these first, since they are usually easier to spot. In this case, choice A gives a compelling reason to improve the school system; eliminate it. Now, the reason the author gives for defeating the plan is that the people who pay for it will not benefit. To strengthen this argument, we need to show why this would be true. Choice B is against the school improvements, but for a different reason: in other towns, similar improvements didn’t increase the quality of education. While important in the real world, this is slightly outside the scope of this argument. Choice C provides another possible negative of the plan, but again it doesn’t show why the people who pay for it will not benefit. Choice E implies that taxpayers will delay their own capital improvements to avoid paying for the schools’ capital improvements, but again this doesn’t strengthen the author’s particular argument—that the plan should be defeated because the people who must pay for it do not benefit. The best answer is D, which explains how this could be true: Most of the people slotted to pay for the school improvements don’t even have school-age children.

Which of the following, if true, provides the town council with the strongest counter to the objection that its plan is unfair?
A) Even with the proposed increase, property taxes in the town are well below the national average.
B) Paying for the school system improvements using existing town funds will result in shortfalls that will force the town into arrears.
C) The teachers in the town’s school system receive some of the lowest salary packages in the immediate area, which is a major cause of attrition.
D) Smaller class sizes and capital improvements in a school system tend to increase property values in the surrounding community.
E) A feasibility study has shown that the cost of the improvements will likely be 20% higher than projected.

The argument assumes that people who have homes valued over $500,000 don't benefit from the proposed plan.

D: An examination of the tax rolls shows that most home owners in this category no longer have school-age children. This shows that people who have homes valued over $500,000 indeed don't benefit from the proposed plan.

In the second case "D: Smaller class sizes and capital improvements in a school system tend to increase property values in the surrounding community" weakens the argument by proposing that by increased property value due to Smaller class sizes and capital improvements in the school system, home-owners indeed benefit from the proposed plan.

D
Because it tells us that the people who have homes valued over $500,000, will benefit from the scheme.