The hearing is on the School Finance Network plan, but it is more generally an important opportunity to show support for comprehensive school finance reform. The lawmakers need to know we care. Be there if you can!
Details here and below. The Basics: Tuesday April 21 at 1:00 PM at the Wisconsin State Capitol in room 413 north.
School Finance Network Reform Plan Subject of April 21st Hearing at the Capitol
Statewide coalition of more than 100,000 members announces support for changes to public school funding
Members of the Assembly Education Committee have scheduled a hearing for April 21st at 1 p.m., to consider the School Finance Network’s funding reform plan.
The meeting will be held at the Wisconsin State Capitol in room 413 north, and is open to the public. In addition to members of the SFN coalition, parents, students, educators, and taxpayers from around the state will speak.
The School Finance Network is a statewide coalition of educational, religious, and community-oriented organizations, committed to strengthening the funding system for our public schools.
The School Finance Network plan details how public school districts statewide would benefit through changes that help children with special needs, disabilities and from low income families. It also includes updates to the funding formula for rural districts and those with declining enrollment. The plan also helps maintain classes that help young people to learn skills that can benefit their communities.
The School Finance Network is made up of the following groups: AFT–Wisconsin, the Fair Aid Coalition, the School Administrators Alliance, the South-eastern Wisconsin Schools Alliance, the Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools, the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators, the Wisconsin Education Association Council, and the Wisconsin PTA
What: Assembly Education Committee hearing on the School Finance Network plan.
A combination of factors have led Paris into financial difficulty.
The district is considered property-rich under state funding formulas, and has had declines in student enrollment, both factors leading to a steady reduction in state aid. At the same time, state law limits the amount of money districts can collect under the revenue cap, and its expenses have grown faster than revenues.
Paris has cut its budget over the past year, eliminating some staff positions and reducing costs. But the district, with just one classroom per grade level, has little room left to cut…
The dissolution vote is only the first step of a long process that most often does not end in a dissolution.
Paris is a very small K-8 district, serving less than 200 students. A case can be made that consolidating with another district would be best. Certainly economics should play a role in this decision, yet when you look closely it is clear that dissolution/consolidation won’t fix many of the problems.
• Reductions in staff for 2008-2009 school year saved $100,240.
• Reductions in staff for 2009-2010 school year projected to be $60,000 to $70,000.
• Total current expenses reduced $121,966 from Fall Budget report.
• 26.5% reduction in supply expenses from 2007-2008 school year to 2008-2009.
• 52% reduction in supply expenses from
2008-2009 school year to 2009-2010.
• Improved energy conservation and building maintenance practices.
• Taking advantage of used, refurbished, and donated materials and equipment.
The district mentioned as possible new homes for the Paris students are Kenosha Unified, Bristol, Union Grove or Brighton. They all have there problems.
If dissolution/consolidation is only a partial and temporary fix, the School Finance Network (SFN) has a proposal that will help all districts in Wisconsin achieve sustainable funding for excellent education. There will be a hearing on the SFN plan on Tuesday April 21 at 1:00 PM at the Wisconsin State Capitol in room 413 north (more details here). It is important that there be a good crowd supporting comprehensive reform. Be there!
Meanwhile, contact your elected officials, the media and get involved (see here for “how to’).
We have believed wholeheartedly in investing the money of all the people on the education of the people. That conviction, backed up by taxes and dollars, is no accident, for it is the logical application of our faith in democracy.
Here is where the whole problem of education ties in definitely with natural resources and the economic picture of the individual community or state. We all know that the best schools are, in most cases, located in those communities which can afford to spend the most money on them—the most money for adequate teachers’ salaries, for modern buildings and for modern equipment of all kinds. We know that the weakest educational link in the system lies in those communities which have the lowest taxable values, therefore, the smallest per capita tax receipts and, therefore, the lowest teachers’ salaries and most inadequate buildings and equipment. We do not blame these latter communities. They want better educational facilities, but simply have not enough money to pay the cost.
There is probably a wider divergence today in the standard of education between the richest communities and the poorest communities than there was one hundred years ago; and it is, therefore, our immediate task to seek to close that gap—not in any way by decreasing the facilities of the richer communities but by extending aid to those less fortunate. We all know that if we do not close this gap it will continue to widen, for the best brains in the poor communities will either have no chance to develop or will migrate to those places where their ability will stand a better chance.
Make them listen to this in Madison and in Washington.
The results are in. Good news with Tony Evers, Shirley Abrahamson and Arlene Siveira. Very mixed results on the school referend in Wisconsin. Not as bad as February, but many children’s educations will suffer as a result of the losses.
First the Non Recurring Operating Referenda where 10 passed and 14 failed.
DISTRICT
Referenda Type
Yes Votes
No Votes
RESULTS
Birchwood (0441)
NR – 2009 – 2011
360
386
Failed
Horicon (2576)
NR – 2009
505
822
Failed
Kiel Area (2828)
NR – 2009 – 2016
887
928
Failed
Loyal (3206)
NR – 2009 – 2012
439
514
Failed
Manawa (3276)
NR – 2009 – 2014
590
937
Failed
Oakfield (4025)
NR – 2010 – 2014
308
344
Failed
Oshkosh Area (4179)
NR – 2009 – 2014
6,872
6,930
Failed
Reedsburg (4753)
NR – 2009 – 2012
999
2,240
Failed
Ripon (4872)
NR – 2009 – 2012
854
1,112
Failed
Wheatland J1 (6412)
NR – 2009 – 2013
363
417
Failed
Albany (0063)
NR – 2009 – 2013
459
333
Passed
Benton (0427)
NR – 2009 – 2012
407
291
Passed
Bowler (0623)
NR – 2009 – 2012
223
216
Passed
Elcho (1582)
NR – 2009 – 2012
800
632
Passed
Herman #22 (2523)
NR – 2009 – 2014
142
137
Passed
Maple Dale-Indian Hill (1897)
NR – 2009 – 2019
809
632
Passed
Mineral Point (3633)
NR – 2009 – 2011
896
592
Passed
Northland Pines (1526)
NR – 2009 – 2012
1,963
1,767
Passed
Oshkosh Area (4179)
NR – 2009 – 2014
7,212
6,624
Passed
Phelps (4330)
NR – 2009 – 2012
378
144
Passed
Phelps (4330)
NR – 2009 – 2012
360
161
Passed
Ripon (4872)
NR – 2009 – 2015
1,077
898
Passed
Washington (6069)
NR – 2009
242
236
Passed
Wisconsin Heights (0469)
NR – 2009 – 2011
1,225
598
Passed
Lots of close votes (6 on Washington Island referendum!) and unfortunately, unless there is comprehensive reform (see below), even the districts where the referenda passed will soon be asking again or heading off the cliff. Many of the ones that failed will return to the voters, sooner rather than later.
The results for Recurring Operating Referenda were not as good. 7 failed and only 2 passed.
DISTRICT
Referenda Type
Yes Votes
No Votes
RESULTS
Medford Area (3409)
RR – 2010
1,220
2,428
Failed
Merrill Area (3500)
RR – 2009
1,836
3,153
Failed
Middleton-Cross Plains (3549)
RR – 2009
4,963
5,726
Failed
Paris J1 (4235)
RR – 2009
165
512
Failed
Reedsburg (4753)
RR – 2009
1,349
1,907
Failed
Riverdale (3850)
RR – 2009
559
883
Failed
Siren (5376)
RR – 2009
234
418
Failed
North Lakeland (0616)
RR – 2009
839
732
Passed
Reedsville (4760)
RR – 2009
863
554
Passed
The votes don’t look to have been as close. Recurring referenda make much more sense in terms of planning, but for some reason the anti-forces have been very successful demagoguing the concept.
Last the Issue Debt Referenda (building, remodling, upgrading HVAC…).
DISTRICT
Referenda Type
Yes Votes
No Votes
RESULTS
Medford Area (3409)
Issue Debt
1,191
2,505
Failed
Middleton-Cross Plains (3549)
Issue Debt
4,766
5,677
Failed
Middleton-Cross Plains (3549)
Issue Debt
5,008
5,425
Failed
Oshkosh Area (4179)
Issue Debt
3,761
10,124
Failed
West Bend (6307)
Issue Debt
5,632
6,317
Failed
Albany (0063)
Issue Debt
539
257
Passed
Cudahy (1253)
Issue Debt
1,085
1,000
Passed
Elk Mound Area (1645)
Issue Debt
648
413
Passed
Maple Dale-Indian Hill (1897)
Issue Debt
972
465
Passed
Reedsville (4760)
Issue Debt
795
624
Passed
Ripon (4872)
Issue Debt
1,372
616
Passed
West Bend (6307)
Issue Debt
5,971
5,897
Passed
5 yes and 7 no, with mixed results in West Bend.
More votes in Salem and Cuba City later this month and elsewhere — especially where referenda failed — the axe will continue to fall and AMPS will cover as many of the cuts as we can.
Now the” take action” boilerplate (literally cut-and-paste this time).
This growing reliance on regular referenda is perhaps the clearest evidence that the way our state funds education is broken. Too much time and energy is being misdirected at securing basic funding instead of educating, too many communities are being split over these votes instead of united to give their children the opportunities to create a better future.
The way it works is, first the Governor proposes a budget, then the JFC hears from agency heads and the public and proposes changes (or not), each house of the legislature takes up the options and than it is a three-way back-and forth, till there is budget that both houses agree on and the Governor signs (the Governor gets one final swipe with his now-limited partial veto). Much of this is explained in this 2007 memo.
These hearings are the only official public opportunity for citizens to have a say in Wisconsin’s taxing, spending and investment priorities over the next two years.
It is disappointing that the media coverage has been so minimal (see below for some of what has appeared).
Some of this is due to the reality that these hearings are largely a ritualistic dance. Advocates make their case, legislators smile and nod and look for openings to make their points and then behind closed caucus and office doors the real work is done (Reps. Cory Mason, D-Racine, and Dean Kaufert, R-Neenah have proposed bringing party caucuses under the open meetings laws). I still think that the hearings are important, if only to keep the voice of the public before the powerful. The hundreds who testified last week also think it is important.
For advocates of comprehensive school finance reform, the ritual dance requires some awkward steps. It isn’t easy to simultaneously speak to pressing need a big fix of the broken system and address what is likely to be helpful or harmful in the immediate budget process.
Most advocates also have an interest in budget matters not directly related to comprehensive school funding reform. So teachers such as Kelly McMahon and Abby Ryan make strong cases for the Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE) program within the context of the general benefits of investing in education but with no direct appeal for comprehensive reform.
John Smart, a Board Member in Park Falls testifying in Ashland didn’t use any fancy terpsichorean moves, he simply reminded the committee members of the failures of our current system and the possibilities offered by the School Finance Network:
The Park Falls and Glidden School Districts have voted to consolidate, and the new Chequamegon School District will officially come into existence on July 1st of this year. I am running for the new board as well in the April 7th election, but I don’t know how I will fare! As elected officials yourselves, you will understand that…
We hope to realize some economies of scale by consolidating, but the principle reason for doing so is to provide our students with more opportunities. We will appreciate anything that the legislature can do to assist us in this challenge. You will be seeing many more school district consolidations in the near future, so be prepared.
You are certainly aware that the costs of running an effective school district continue to rise: staff – healthcare – technology – building maintenance – and so much more. You are also aware that referenda have been increasingly unsuccessful in raising the necessary funds. Ours was. Our property-taxpayers are rebelling. The existing school funding formula does not work anymore – if it ever did – and reform is desperately needed.
The WASB and the WAES are both members of the School Finance Network, along with representatives of almost all of the stakeholders in education in Wisconsin, including the PTA. The SFN has proposed a new funding formula, which will be analyzed at a hearing of the Assembly Education Committee on April 21st, and I intend to be there as well.
I urge you to look closely at school funding. We really must do something to resolve this situation before we do damage to one of the best education establishments in the nation. Thank you for your consideration.
WEAC President Mary Bell moved with grace between the immediate and the big picture while also advocating for consideration of the School Finance Network‘s proposals. Here are excerpts from her testimony in Sparta:
The budget proposal introduced by Gov. Jim Doyle recognizes that we must all make sacrifices in light of Wisconsin’s challenging economic conditions, but that there is no greater promise than the one we make to educate our children for the future. Investing in them reaps dividends for generations to come, and we cannot turn our backs on who we are and what we value – our children’s education. Wisconsin has great schools because the people of our state have been committed to building great schools for generations – even in times of hardship. We urge the legislature to uphold our great tradition by passing the Governor’s budget proposal with funding for schools intact.
I’d like to now speak to some of the specific features of the Governor’s budget proposal that will affect public schools and colleges in Wisconsin….
We support these funding improvements, but urge the legislature not to assume they will solve the serious funding issues of Wisconsin’s public schools. Layoffs and program cuts will still be part of the spring and summer news reports, though certainly not as deep as without this important investment. A thoughtful and comprehensive look at school funding is needed, if not with this budget, then in this legislative session. The School Finance Network proposal is, we believe, worthy of your attention as we, the citizens of Wisconsin engage in that conversation…
Many others testified on education issues, but the news reports are pretty skimpy, so it is hard to tell how they managed the dance.
Eau Claire School Superintendent, Dr. Ron Heilmann, was one of several area administrators who spoke on the difficulties facing school districts. Heilmann says revenue limits over the past 16 years are threatening public schools across the state. Eau Claire is one of several districts considering lay-offs for teachers and other staff to cut expenses (see this on AMPS for more on cuts in Eau Claire and elsewhere).
The story on WEAU also mentions Dr. Heilmann’s testimony.
Many educators addressed the committee, saying limiting revenues as costs continue to grow has created a budgetary imbalance that threatens the quality of services schools can provide. From growing class sizes to fewer programs, schools can’t continue under the current funding system without gutting educational programs, school officials said.
“We’re not making it here, folks,” Eau Claire school board member Brent Wogahn told panel members, who were spread across the full width of the Gantner Concert Hall stage.
After years of school districts trimming budgets, Heilmann said, “The fat is gone … and (budget cuts) are impacting our students in ways that are unacceptable.”
The testimony of Chippewa Falls School District Business Manager Chad Trowbridge, also in Eau Claire, was covered by Chppewa.com:
Trowbridge said the district had made $2.3 million in cuts since 2000, and was still facing a deficit in 2010-2011.
“We continue to do more with less and we are subjected to the same kind of inflationary pressures as everyone else,” he said.
Trowbridge warned that any state cuts from the two-thirds finding level would result in increased property taxes. He also spoke in opposition to repeal of the Qualified Economic Offer policy that limits teacher salary and benefit increases.
As always the WisPolitics Budget Blog is a good source for updates on the budget process, including the JFC hearings (although this time around, the coverage seems a bit thin thus far).
From the Cleveland Municipal School District Visions of Democracy - Digital Gallery. Click on image for more.
April 7, 2009 will be a big day for school votes in Wisconsin. There is the State Superintendent race (I’m backing Tony Evers, for reasons that I hope to have a chance to post on at some length), 41 school referenda in 29 school districts are on the ballot (those posts are in the works, see here for a summary of the measures) and around the state voters will elect their representatives to school boards. The League of Women Voters of Dane County election guide has been published and posted, with answers from many of the candidates and descriptions of local referenda.
I spent some time going through the candidates answers and was struck by the combination of widespread concerns about the ability to provide necessary and desired educational opportunities under the pressures of budget constraints and by how few pointed to the broken state school finance system as the source of this ongoing situation.
The biggest exception is MMSD Board president Arlene Silveira. This is what she wrote about the “the major issues confronting your school district, and, if elected, how will you deal with them?”
Equitable school funding system. Unless changed, all school districts will be forced to make devastating cuts detrimental to all students. I will initiate community-based advocacy efforts to work toward changing the funding. Enhancement of minority achievement efforts by improving efforts in schools to raise instruction quality; expanding availability of schooling opportunities and working with community to develop policies that enable all children to begin/attend school on a more even playing field. Ensure we are providing students with skills needed to compete in the 21st century, irrespective of their path. Continue efforts focused on redesign of our high schools. (Emphasis added.)
One large looming issue facing Madison’s School District is MONEY!
True, but not very helpful.
The same is true for most other Dane County candidates who discussed the issue (many did not discuss finances at all or had almost nothing to say — these responses have not been included). Here is what other Dane County candidates said about school finances.
Expenditures continue to raise and outpace funding. The board and administration need to review funding formula and actual costs per student and determine if the tax payers would incur a tax savings or a tax loss by allowing transfer students from outside our community to enroll in the District.
The Edgerton School District will soon be replacing a principal and its superintendent; it will also be facing a significant decrease in its high school enrollment and will have to tackle large maintenance expenses with a tight budget.
Crafting a budget that meets the needs of our students and allows us to continue to improve the education we provide continues to be a significant challenge. This is especially difficult with state imposed revenue controls. The key to meeting this challenge is to make sure that all of the board’s decisions are made with the goal of providing the best educational experience that we can. The Marshall School District has done a good job of implementing needed changes and improving our educational programs during difficult economic times by keeping this key idea in mind.
Ziegler also refers to the importance of “full funding” for “”bilingual education for all children; b) music and art; c) civics; d) 4-year-old kindergarten; e) preparation for the work force.”
Tight budgets, academic performance and school safety are top issues facing many schools, including Marshall. I have been a good steward of the school district’s finances in my nine years on the board and will continue to make budget decisions in the interest of what is best for the success of students.
One of the major issues for this district is the budget shortage that is forecasted for the next couple of years. Because this is an issue that is likely going to be a recurring issue I would like to see the next board take a hard and fast look at this year’s deficit and see how the decisions that are made this year will affect upcoming years. Additionally, we need to be cognizant of any how any cuts will impact our building infrastructure and the quality of our children’s education.
As a nation we are facing tough economic times and the Monona Grove School District is not immune to this. Our biggest challenge in the next couple of years will be to prevent our district from cutting programs and activities that make our district special and from falling further into debt. I will listen without bias to all ideas and suggestions on the best way to achieve this with the least negative impact to our students and teachers. Neighborhood growth continues to be a challenge for our schools; we must proactively address this issue to prevent overcrowding at our schools.
Annually the Board must adopt a budget that balances the needs of students, fairly compensates employees, maintains facilities and does not burden taxpayers. We have done that during my Board tenure.
During this time of uncertain budgets and fluctuating enrollments, we need to maintain opportunities. We must find creative options to meet all District goals while also serving our students and community. School consolidations need to happen logically and painlessly. We must make wise decisions regarding staffing, transportation, and boundaries during this time of transitions.
Increasing student achievement, recruiting and retaining quality staff and maintaining facilities are all priorities in SASD. The current state funding formula creates challenges to these priorities in districts like SASD with declining enrollment. School consolidation, bussing guideline updates, and enrollment-driven staff reductions will help in the short term. It is important to continue our collaborative work to encourage community growth, energy conservation and educate our community on school funding issues and solutions including pressure to bring legislative change that will provide more long-term financial relief. (Emphasis added.)
Property taxes are also an issue, especially for those on fixed income. I would support a solution for the fixed income hardship at the state level. Despite rising costs, my goal is stabilize or even reduce the property tax rate.
The Sun Prairie Area School district has been both blessed and cursed with a rapidly growing student population. We don’t have to deal with the budget problems associated with declining enrollments, but growth has its own budget issues. Growth has required significant investment in infrastructure, and has required the District to work hard to meet the needs of our student population. I am a firm believer that all children are entitled to a quality education. If elected, I will continue to pursue all opportunities that support quality education for all students.
Two other observations. First, it appears that incumbents are more likely to “get it” that the budget problems begin with the state system. Second, despite the facts that about 250 referenda have been held in the last two years and about as many can be expected in the next two years, I don’t believe a single candidate directly mentioned referenda.
As noted last week, under Wisconsin’s broken school funding system, Spring is the season for budget cuts in districts around the state. The latest places the axe is falling are Minocqua-Hazelhurst-Lake Tomahawk, Kaukauna, and Oshkosh.
Minocqua-Hazelhurst-Lake Tomahawk (MHLT) is a K-8 district serving 550 students spread out over 350 square miles. It is a classic “small but necessary” district in dire need of realistic sparsity aid as one part of an improved system of funding schools. Governor Jim Doyle’s budget proposal cuts the already inadequate sparsity aid by 1%.
The Lakeland Times reports that the district voted to lay off two teacher, cut the employment of three others by 20%, lay off four educational support team members and discontinue funding for outside curriculum integration with the Lakeland Union High School (LUHS).
These were obviously painful decisions. One board member had this to say about the curriculum integration defunding:
“We’re facing decisions that you well know,” board member Billy Fried said. “We’re negotiating with teachers. We’re making cuts in staff, and it’s really hard to look them in the face and also look our taxpayers in the face when we’re kind of shrinking our own, yet maintain an outside service that a lot of us feel confident they [MHLT current staff] can do a good job.”
The probability of an operating referendum in the near future was part of the decision:
“If I had any thoughts or felt that from the administration that it would be detrimental to the students, I would do nothing [and continue the service] … I think, too, one thing to keep in mind is we are going, we know we have to go to referendum soon, and I think we need to show we’ve done every possible thing before we go to referendum,” [Board Member] Laura Ahonen said.
Administrators and others did weigh in on the issue. Principal Rob Way “admit(ted) that it would be a challenge, but one that they could handle successfully.” Tom Gabert, Lakeland Union High School Board Member said “The major concern with doing it internally, was that past experience has shown that when there is no money on the table, it often gets neglected.”
Combined with the layoffs and this decision means that MHLT staff will be asked to do more with less. The newspaper simply noted that the layoff notices were given with “much regret.”
The district plans to propose a freeze on administrator salaries and reduce at least one full-time equivalent administrator, said school district Human Resources Director John Sprangers.
The list includes 36 full-time teachers and nine part-time teachers primarily from middle and high school elective courses. Music and special education departments would take the biggest hit, losing six educators each.
Last year, “The district filled a $1.4 million hole in its budget… entirely by cutting non-personnel expenses such as maintenance and department funds.” These cuts are part of the reason that there is now a maintenance operating referendum on the ballot. What an insane circle of robbing Peter to pay Paul and then asking for money to pay back Peter while taking back from Paul…This has to end.
Note that both larger class sizes and fewer options will result from the cuts. According to the Northwestern the middle school schedule will be reconfigured “allowing each teacher to do more,” (I’ll add “with less” because that’s what is happening, and note that the “more” is in terms of classes and students taught and the the reality in terms of quality and learning will likely be that they are doing less).
Kaukauna serves about 4,100 students with a staff of approximately 500 and a budget of about $52 million. In order to meet the projected $2.9 million shortfall for 2009-10, the Board froze administrator salaries, and laid off over 10% of their teachings staff. The projections are based on very conservative estimates of future revenue caps, but past experiences with losing students due to open enrollment and underestimates of costs have taught the Board to be conservative. One Board member noted that the new cuts will probably lead to the loss of more students via open enrollment.
Delayed maintenance projects, threatening safety are also a factor in the layoffs.
Board President Jeff McCabe and clerk Cindy Fallona pointed out that because of cuts, administrators have had to tack on more duties without being compensated. Among them are financial officer Bob Schafer, who is overseeing buildings and maintenance, and human resources director Mary Weber, who is serving as Park principal. Randy Hughes, special education and pupil services director, has helped with administrative duties at an elementary school. Eric Brinkmann, Haen principal, tracks student academic performance for the district.
Superintendent LLoyd McCabe correctly identified Wisconsin’s dysfunctional system of educational investment as the source of all these troubles:
McCabe is hoping state lawmakers will tackle the school funding issue to relieve pressure on districts.
“I think that there’s pretty good agreement that state funding has to be revised and the problem that the state has is that they don’t have the money to do anything about it,” he said.
“Wisconsin schools cannot continue to produce students who rank at the very top of the nation with the funding structure that exists today.”
This leads directly to my “join the fight” plea.
If we don’t put/keep the pressure on, nothing will happen except more cuts, more referendum fights, more kids not getting the education they need and deserve, fewer kids reaching adulthood with the tools to be successful…we all need to get and be active.
Use your own experiences to write your own letters to the editor:
Don’t forget the April 1, 2009 MMSD “Legislative Informational Community Session” and the April 21 Assembly hearing on the School Finance Network (SFN) plan (details on both, here).
Though people are once again starting to see the signs of a market in recoup mode after a national credit meltdown, some area school districts are still struggling to make ends meet, and because of that, are passing the bill onto taxpayers.
Or at least trying in the case of many districts that have seen numerous referendums fail and fail miserably as taxpayers are standing up for what they think is a bad formula being handed down by the state.
As budgets are cut and staff members begin seeing their jobs in jeopardy, athletic teams are doing their best to remain untouched.
It is good to see reporters and newspapers recognize the cause of local district problems is at the state level.
AMPS 