Like Madison, many Wisconsin School Districts will be finalizing their 2009-10 budget and tax levies tonight (Monday, October 26, 2009). Some have previously been highlighted on AMPS — most recently West Bend — , the struggles to deal with declining state funding has been documented in many posts, as has the trend of Not Taxing to the Max to keep property taxes as low as possible but it has been impossible to keep up with all the news.
That’s why I’m offering some linked recent school budget related headlines. Just reading these gives a good idea of how hard things are for districts. Click a few and get more of the sad details.
When you are done, click one more link and sent a note to Governor Jim Doyle, your State Senator and your State Representative. If we don’t pull their heads out of the sand, next year will be even worse and the following years I don’t want to think about.
This is far from comprehensive and they are in no particular order.
Schools see decline in state aid
Rapids School Board approves 12 percent tax rate increase
Higher school property taxes stress Fox Valley homeowners in grips of recession
Despite cuts, West Salem school taxes going up
School superintendents share money woes during forum
Most area school districts lose state aid
District to consider nearly 19 percent levy increase at tonight’s budget hearing
State forces schools to raise taxes
Cuts in aid put more of the burden on taxpayers
State aid estimate lowered; tax levy raised
School aid loss hits Chippewa Falls taxpayers
School board reduces tax increase to 11.55 percent
Fewer state dollars blamed for EC school tax hike
Altoona taxpayers to pay more for schools
Osseo-Fairchild school taxes rising 6.2 percent
Portage school deficit goes up; expected millage rate goes down
Decrease in state aid challenges Marshfield-area school districts
Read’em and weep, then get active.
Thomas J. Mertz
AMPS 