Answer:
The central idea of the paragraph is: Governments use taxes to provide services that benefit everyone.
Explanation:
1. City and county governments fund public elementary and secondary schools, while most states support public colleges and universities through taxes collected from the citizens.
2. The federal government also supports education by providing grants to schools.
3. This indicates that governments use taxes as a means to fund educational institutions and programs that benefit the entire society, not just specific individuals or groups.
4. By allocating tax revenue towards education, governments aim to provide essential services that contribute to the overall well-being and development of the population.
5. Therefore, the primary message conveyed in the paragraph is the utilization of taxes to support services, like education, that have a broad impact and serve the common good.