Category Archives: Referenda

by | October 6, 2007 · 10:42 pm

TID and School Finance Op Ed

Thomas J. Mertz: Legislators need to focus on flawed school financing

Thomas J. Mertz, guest columnist — 10/06/2007 9:23 am

The earlier than anticipated closure of two tax incremental financing districts may provide Madison Metropolitan School District with $5.4 million — and an opportunity to temporarily escape the full effects of Wisconsin’s broken education finance system and avoid both budget cuts and a divisive referendum this year.

Communities and Schools Together, a grass-roots advocacy organization dedicated to securing the support our schools need, asks the City Council to support the closure of these districts and urges the School Board to use these unanticipated revenues to partially or fully offset the 2008-2009 structural gap between allowed revenues and costs under the state revenue limits.

CAST has been working since March to gather community input regarding an operating referendum. We heard an outpouring of support for strong funding of public schools. We would like to thank all those who have volunteered, offered support or provided input on their priorities to the School Board. We would also like to thank the board and the administration for recognizing the need for a referendum and beginning the process in a timely fashion.

Referendum campaigns are not easy. Madison values education but getting approval of any increase in taxation would be difficult. CAST is confident that district voters would affirm the importance they place on education by supporting a referendum. However, even a successful referendum might exacerbate divisions in the community. The closure of the tax incremental financing districts gives us an opportunity to avoid this for one more year.

In the coming year we will welcome a new superintendent. The closure of the tax districts and the use of that money for operating expenses will allow for a positive period of transition, instead of one devoted to healing the wounds of draconian budget cuts or a referendum campaign.

As beneficial as the tax windfall will be, it will not cure the ills of a flawed system of school finance.

After 15 years of finding efficiencies, cutting over $60 million and eliminating over 600 staff positions, every additional reduction threatens the education of our children, the health of our neighborhoods, and the economic strength of our region. The $5.4 million will allow the schools to continue doing the good they do for one more year, but it isn’t enough to restore all the valuable programs that have already been cut or expand the good with new programs like 4-year old kindergarten.

Absent reform at the state level, the next fiscal year will require an operating referendum to prevent even larger cuts. In order to again look at school budgets as an opportunity to do the most good instead of an exercise in doing the least harm, the state must act to address the fundamental flaws in the way we fund our schools.

At the CAST meeting there was a spontaneous and collective commitment to redirect our energies toward state school finance reform. Our current system is a contradictory collection of underfunded mandates requiring districts around the state to cut about 1.5 percent from their same service budgets annually.

The children of Wisconsin deserve a system that guarantees sufficient resources for all children to achieve, that provides for reasonable local control, that recognizes the diverse needs of our students and communities, and that seeks fairness in taxation and puts education first.

Until the next referendum, CAST will be working with ABC Madison (All the Best for Children) and the Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools to support the resolution sponsored by Rep. Sondy Pope-Roberts demanding that the Legislature address the problems of school funding and all other efforts to bring about positive reform.

Community and Schools Together welcomes the prospect of setting aside referendum campaigns to work for fundamental changes in school funding at the state level. Please join us; our future depends on getting this right.

Thomas J. Mertz is co-chair of Communities and Schools Together.

The Capital Times © 2007

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Filed under AMPS, Budget, Local News, Pope-Roberts/Breske Resolution, Referenda, School Finance

by | October 3, 2007 · 12:41 am

We are not alone #17

Things have been bad in Park Falls for a long time. A $850,000 referendum failed in April. After that they announced an unbelievable set of cuts:

  • Reduce staff by one full-time staff member in the district offices.
  • Reduce staff by one half-time staff member in the elementary school office and one half-time staff member in the high school office.
  • Reduce by one maintenance position.
  • Reduce by one transportation position.
  • Reduce by 1-1/2 food service positions.
  • Reduce by one high school history teacher, one elementary and middle school guidance counselor, one high school technical education teacher, one half-time middle school consumer education teacher, one elementary alone.gifmusic teacher, one half-time high school physical education teacher, one half-time high school English teacher, one elementary school teacher, one .6-time middle school music teacher, and one special education aide. Further reduction includes five positions due to attrition/retirements.
  • Eliminate the position of middle and high school disciplinary assistant.
  • Eliminate all middle school [grades six to eight] athletics and other extracurricular activities — club or volunteer activities only.
  • Eliminate the following sports: cheerleading, hockey, gymnastics and golf.
  • There will be varsity and junior varsity sports only, no freshman or “C” teams.
  • Two coaches only per sport, varsity and junior varsity — any others must be volunteers.
  • Only authorized WIAA programs will be funded.
  • Eliminate the summer marching band program.
  • Reduce the FBLA program by disallowing national competition, unless other funding can be found.
  • Eliminate the forensics program.
  • Cut participation in any music competitions beyond the solo and ensemble competitions.
  • Reduce district’s technology budget by $30,000.
  • Reduce building administrators’ budgets by $55,000.
  • Reduce overall maintenance budget by $25,000 – $30,000.
  • Close the swimming pool.
  • It is further recommended that all athletic coaches and extra-curricular advisors be laid off at the end of the 2006-2007 season, including the position of grades seven-12 athletic director. These positions will all be re-evaluated, posted and rehired as necessary, as per collective bargaining agreement, with first consideration being given to employees of the school district.
  • It is also recommended that a system of fees and charges be established for school activities and events to raise additional revenue. A committee has been established to determine fair fees and charges. Such fees and charges would be for all athletic and music events, for use of the building by any profit-making activity [such as drivers’ education, karate, etc.], for special course textbooks and materials, for any non-class-related school computer usage, and for anything else the committee deems appropriate.

    • They are currently working on a consolidation with Butternut (another struggling district). Apparently the consolidation will produce some temporary savings but in the long run the combination of a basic state funding system that is designed to fail, declining enrollments and “sparsity” will take them right back where they are now (unless of course our lawmakers enact real reform).

    Sparsity is used to describe the special issues faced by large geographic districts with small enrollments, for example the need to staff a French or chemistry class for only a handful of students. These sorts of diseconomies of scale along with the need to maintain schools within a couple hour drive of student’s homes create real challenges and our funding system denies districts the resources they need to meet these challenges.

    Meanwhile, (according to the Park Falls Herald) “Impacts of cuts in school district felt”

    This is the part that got to me:

    Elementary School Principal Michael Plemon addressed the board during his administrative report about the “desperate need for a guidance counselor” at the elementary school.

    “I believe strongly that we need this at the elementary level,” Plemon said. “We have got a kindergarten class and a first-grade class, I’m not exaggerating when I say this, where I could already be in a situation of suspending kids from school. We’ve got a few kids in that situation that need guidance. These are children that need help and discussion, and a place for them to go and get some guidance.”

    Plemon said he is able to handle the situations and discipline on a day-to-day basis, but that those students aren’t getting the help they need to change the behaviors, and that the concerns include the other students.

    “Children today come with a lot more social issues than they once did,” Plemon said, noting the need for assistance with issues including grief, loss, self-control and other social skills, especially anger management. “You’re looking at five to maybe 10 kids in the elementary, but they have this anger management issue every day. Other kids are getting hurt because of this.”

    “It is an area I believe is vital for our elementary school,” he said.

    Waller said a good rule of thumb is one guidance counselor for each principal. The district currently has one guidance counselor, working in the high school and middle school. Waller said the item would be on the agenda for the October meeting, but many board members felt the need was important and asked if it could be placed on the agenda for the meeting scheduled for tonight, Thursday, Sept. 27.

    In response to a question from board member Jean Gottwald, Schuchardt said the position was not in the 2007-08 budget but could be added.

    How long can this insanity go on? Make some noise! Call, write, visit any and all legislators and don’t let Governor Doyle off the hook. Come November, let’s work statewide to elect people who will fix this.

    Thomas J. Mertz

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    Filed under AMPS, Budget, Elections, Referenda, School Finance, Take Action, We Are Not Alone

    by | September 13, 2007 · 4:43 pm

    Quotes of the Day (We are Not Alone #17)

    Chetek School District begins considering an operating referendum.

    “What we heard loud and clear from the community was that we want everything and more for our kids…Obviously, with our budget dwindling, we’re going to have to do something to meet the expectations of the community.”

    Genie Jennings, President Chetek School District, Board of Education

    “I think we have to do it. It’s not a debatable issue. The question is, ‘Is it going to be a community-wide effort with help from the board?’…I think the community will pay for what they perceive as quality, performance and value,…Doing more with less may actually happen, but to provide good services frugally, and to be competitive, we’re going to have to create more opportunities for students. That is the real focus.”

    Ken Jost, Member Chetek School District, Board of Education

    Thomas J. Mertz

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    Filed under AMPS, Budget, Quote of the Day, Referenda, School Finance, We Are Not Alone

    by | July 23, 2007 · 1:36 am

    We are not alone #14

    I think everyone in Wisconsin’s hearts went out to the community of Weston earlier this year when principal John Klang was killed. I hope that our state officials also show compassion for Weston and other districts suffering from the relentless toll of a broken state school finance system.

    The headline is familiar: “Weston gets bad budget news.” The details are familiar too:

    “We have to decide as a board and a community if we want to go to a referendum,” Andres said.

    Despite being in the hole, the board is not looking to tighten its belt further to get out.

    “We have very few areas where we could look to cut. We’re not recommending anymore cuts,” the superintendent said.

    In the aftermath of the Sept. 29, 2006, school shooting at Weston the district was awarded numerous grants that were largely spent on security measures. Weston has made cuts over the years, including no longer offering home economics classes and reducing the music program to one staff member. The district has not held a referendum in recent years, unlike neighboring districts Reedsburg, Baraboo and Sauk Prairie.

    “I don’t know of any neighboring district in the past eight to nine years that has not had a referendum,” Terry Milfred said. Milfred is Weston’s former superintendent and served on the board until June 2007.

    Take action.

    Thomas J. Mertz

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    Filed under AMPS, Budget, Referenda, School Finance, Take Action, We Are Not Alone

    by | July 5, 2007 · 7:56 pm

    We are not alone #13

    It has been a while since I’ve posted one of these round ups of Wisconsin school budget news. This one is going to be in the quick facts and short excerpts style.

    Menomonie
    School board nixes four-year-old kindergarten

    The recent referendum in Menomomie lost, the start up and operating costs for 4K are only partially covered by state aid and allowable local revenues, so even though a majority of the Board believe it would be “beneficial for kids,” there will be no 4 year old kindergarten in Menomonie.

    “I voted against this two years ago, but since then I’ve read some positive information about four-year-old kindergarten,” said Bud Karis, board member.

    The referendum that was recently defeated, however, was not for new programs, but to maintain existing programs, he said.

    “If we can’t maintain existing programs, then we should not start new programs. Where are we going to get the start-up funds when we’re already broke?” Karis said.

    Four-year-old kindergarten is educationally sound and is fiscally sound over time, said Jesse Harness, district administrator.

    Ashwaubenon
    Ashwaubenon lays off 8 teachers

    The headline kind of says it all. One interesting note is that like MMSD and other districts around the state, Ashwaubenon is considering following the state law that allows districts to move community education programs to a fund that is not under the revenue caps.

    The district also would like to start a community service fund, Lucius said earlier this spring. With that fund, programs that benefit the community — such as Ashwaubenon High School’s indoor pool and other programs — fit under a different tax levy not tied to the state-mandated revenue caps for school districts. That would free up about $300,000 in the school budget, Lucius said, but does require approval at the school district’s annual meeting in July.

    Neenah
    Neenah cuts in-city busing for students

    Like in Madison, busing for both public and private school students was cut.

    School board member Scott Butler said in-city busing is not required by law and falls below other priorities of the district. A majority of the board agreed with him Tuesday.

    Tight budgets mean a close look at priorities.

    Kaukauna
    Budget woes plague Kaukauna schools

    Board trims $500,000 in projected SAGE costs

    Read both linked stories to get the sad story of how the district tried and failed to keep all the SAGE class size reductions that the state would co-fund. The Governor’s budget this year contains the first increase in SAGE reimbursement ever, but even if that goes through the state funding will fall short of meeting the true expenses in all or most schools. Like so many other state and federal programs, SAGE is underfunded and the difference has to be made up out of the general budget.

    “I appreciate what they (administrators) did to get to where we are,” said Todd Arnoldussen, the board’s vice president and a staunch supporter of retaining the SAGE program. “But I can’t see all that work going out the window. … This is the right way.”

    Hustisford
    Preliminary school budget approved by Hustisford board

    The schools in Hustiford will again run a deficit and dip into their fund balance this year (to the tune of $654,437). the familiar story of allowed revenues not rising as fast as expenses. Although familiar, the reporter (Pat Hahn) did an exceptional job explaining state and local school finances and I urge you to read it. Here is one good quote:

    “It looks dismal, and it is,” Van Ravenstein told the board. “Each year since I’ve been here, I’ve trimmed the budget as much as I could. This year there isn’t anything left to trim.”

    Thomas J. Mertz

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    Filed under AMPS, Best Practices, Budget, Local News, Referenda, School Finance, We Are Not Alone

    by | June 17, 2007 · 8:50 pm

    Quote of the Day (consider the source)

    From this morning’s Wisconsin State Journal story on the Republican effort to reduce taxes in Wisconsin’s biennial budget (Paul Soglin has more).

    Bill McCoshen, a lobbyist and former Commerce secretary under Gov. Tommy Thompson, said the [Republican controlled] Assembly could be forced into making it harder for the needy to qualify for Medicaid health coverage or not increasing state money to schools.

    You’ve got to love the language: “forced.” Yep, the Republicans don’t want to reduce the level of school aid below the already inadequate formula or take healthcare away from the neediest, they are being “forced” to. Who is doing the forcing? McCoshen isn’t saying, but two answers suggest themselves. Either it is the Republican themselves, which brings to mind the image of Cleavon Little in Blazing Saddles holding a gun to his own head and threatening to kill himself.

    Or is it Republican lobbyists and strategists, like Bill McCoshen, and the donors they represent who are doing the “forcing”?

    A closer look at McCoshen’s ties gives some clues as to why he might want to obscure the “forces” who value tax reductions more than providing essential state services. His current lobbying client list is here but at this point in the session it lacks the dollars and hours details. The list from the last session is much the same and includes links to that information. Previous sessions can be accessed here. Interestingly, the 2003 reports do not list McCoshen’s efforts on behalf of the Dairy Business Association to secure passage of Assembly Bill 466 and thereby further limit the taxing power of local entities, including school boards. Reduce state taxes, reduce local taxes, reduce them both, and don’t worry about the consequences for schools or those needing healthcare.

    Also of interest in understanding how McCoshen does business and whose interests he looks after (hint, it isn’t the children of Wisconsin and those in need of healthcare) are the $46.5 million his firm was to “earn” lobbying for Dennis Troha’s failed, tainted casino bid, but that’s another story; this is about public school funding.

    One McCoshen Client, is K12 Inc., a firm specializing in homeschooling and distance learning software (founded by William Bennett, who resigned after his “abort every black baby” to reduce crime remarks, but not before his use of influence to to gain profits from the company’s relationship to an Arkansas virtual charter school via a misapplied Education Department grant subsidizing homeschoolers were raised). In Wisconsin McCoshen, on K12’s behalf to the tune of over $160,000, sought an expansion of and easing of rules for virtual charter schools, while increasing state fiscal obligations.

    Wal-Mart is on the list of McCoshen’s clients. See here for their contributions to education.

    McCoshen’s firm also collected over $10,000 by consulting on the recent Janesville school referendum campaign. Small change in McCoshen’s world, but small change that depends on the continued existence of a state finance system that requires referenda to meet the needs of the state’s students.

    What I see are new twists on the “starve the beast” game that the GOP has played for years. The idea is to deny the schools the money they need to do their job and then point out how they are failing to do their job in order to further defund them or eliminate public education altogether. The new twists involve deviating from the anti-tax stance when there are profits to be made, either via charter schools or by consulting with referenda campaigns.

    May the force desert McCoshen and the Assembly Republicans.

    (revised 6:13 PM, 6-15-07)

    Thomas J. Mertz

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    Filed under AMPS, Gimme Some Truth, Local News, Quote of the Day, Referenda, School Finance

    by | May 6, 2007 · 6:40 pm

    We Are Not Alone #11

    Most of the “We Are Not Alone” series offers glimpses of how other districts are suffering. I’m happy today to post an entry that focuses on positive action for improvement in New Glarus. It isn’t much, but these days any signs of hope are good.

    Some highlights (full story):

    NEW GLARUS — A new name and a focused purpose were the results of the meeting of the Citizen’s Action Committee in New Glarus Wednesday night.

    After discussion that covered a variety of topics related to the failed school referendums, the committee set a short-term goal as one step on the path toward its long-term goal: a strong future for New Glarus schools.

    To that end, the committee has renamed itself the Concerned Citizens for a Strong School. The committee will remain a group of citizens, rather than being appointed by, and thereby connected to, the school board.

    Bright also said the board is considering holding a referendum in the fall for money that will cover the operations of the schools for the 2007-08 school year.

    According to John Johnson, director of educational informational services for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, state statutes allow districts to pass a referendum to exceed revenue caps by Nov. 6 and still have them apply to the current school year.

    Bright said the school board made a policy change at its last meeting which will allow the public to more easily voice its opinion at board meetings.

    “They (the school board) are going to discuss ways to make themselves more accessible to the community so people have the opportunity to (be heard),” he said.

    Thomas J. Mertz

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    Filed under AMPS, Local News, Referenda, School Finance, Take Action, We Are Not Alone

    by | May 2, 2007 · 4:34 am

    Be Thankful for What You’ve Got

    “Be Thankful for What You’ve Got” (listen) by William DeVaughn

    There are many, many things about the process and the results of the April 30, 2007 MMSD Board of Education budget meeting that I am not happy about. From my emails this morning I know that I am not alone. I intend to write about some of these in near future. This evening I want put down a few words on things I am thankful for (in no order).

    § Lindbergh will remain open

    This is a school that has achieved much, despite a high “at risk” population and inadequate facilities. I am glad that a majority of the Board recognized how fragile these accomplishments are and decided that the best chance of sustaining them would be by keeping the school open.

    § The alternative programs will no longer be paying rent; Space owned by the district will be used more fully.

    I don’t think consolidation was the only way to make this happen, but it is hard to deny that this is a good thing. The consensus I’m hearing is that it is a good space for these programs and the potential benefits of having them together outweigh the potential problems. We shall see.

    § For the most part, the Board members were conscientious and respectful.

    That “for the most part” is one of the things I’ll probably write about later. For now, I think that the preparation displayed in many of the questions the Board members asked, the obvious concern for their understanding of what was best for the students and the district, and the respect they (mostly) showed each other and administrative staff should be noted with pride.

    § Board members used the Strategic Plan and the work of the Equity Task Force to guide their decisions.

    That is what they are there for and they are good. Read them, you will find it rewarding. Some might be upset that these were employed to further conflicting positions, but I’m OK with that. The point isn’t that these documents make the right decision easy or obvious. Their function is to identify the kinds of things people associated with the district should be thinking about and to give them some guidance on how to think about them. I know the Equity Task Force didn’t think there were any easy answers.

    § For the most part the administrative staff was thorough and professional.

    There are some places where I think the information and analyses volunteered and given in response to queries were lacking, but overall the knowledge and talents of the staff were very impressive. I also think their dedication to our children and our community was on display.

    § Some locally funded class size reductions will remain in place.

    The benefits of reduced class sizes in the early grades are as well established as almost any educational practice. Preserving a portion of this in lower poverty schools is particularly important because all our schools have children who are poor or are “at risk” for one or more reasons. Low poverty schools get less help from both the federal government and the state (and to declining degree from the district). A poor child in a “rich” school does not have it easy and this will help. Additionally, this should help bolster the faith of middle class families in our schools.

    § There is a growing realization that the primary sources of MMSD’s budget problems are at the state and federal level.

    Almost all the Board members and staff described almost all the cuts, fee increases or means of saving as difficult or seeking to do the least harm. This can only help energize the growing activism for reform in Madison and around the state. Lots of local action, please join us, join the ABC Madison list and watch this space for more opportunities.

    § The deeply offensive and patently absurd tactic of painting those who point to state and federal policies as the primary sources of our budget problems as somehow unwilling or unable to govern and budget responsibly is waning.

    Ruth Robarts departure has something to do with this, but last night’s budget meeting (like many before) is evidence of the speciousness of this slander. Good riddance.

    § A referendum on the ballot in February of 2008 seems certain.

    As long as we have to function under the current state finance system, referenda are the only tools we have to meet the needs and expectations of our community. Madison is a high needs district with high expectations for our schools. Due to this combination we are and will be a “high spending” district. I think we should be proud of this, that we as a community have made education a priority. A referendum will give the electorate a chance to provide the funds to meet these needs and expectations and reaffirm our commitment to education. We are going to need lots of help to make this happen. I’ll be posting updates here.

    § Almost all the good things about our district will continue.

    I’ve been thinking about posting something longer on an essay by the educational historian David Tyack called the “A Conservationist Ethic in Education Reform.” Tyack’s point is that in search of the new and better, reformers often lose track of the need to preserve what is good and working. Tyack has certainly informed my unwillingness to embrace “innovation for the sake of innovation.” At this time I also think it serves as a reminder that despite the losses many in our community are feeling, there is much good that remains in place.

    I’m sure there is more we should be thankful for (please add your thoughts to the comments). As I said at the top, I’m not at all happy with many of the things that happened, but I’m trying to temper my anger and disappointment and looking for things to be thankful for seemed like a good way to start.

    Thomas J. Mertz

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    Filed under AMPS, Best Practices, Budget, Equity, Local News, Referenda, School Finance, Take Action

    by | May 1, 2007 · 10:10 pm

    Referendum Outlook?

    Here are the current results from a Channel 3000 poll on the closing/consolidation of Marquette and Lapham:

    Do you think the Madison school board made the right call in trying to resolve the budget impasse?

      Choice Votes Percentage of 413 Votes

    Yes, they did what needed to be done. 38%
    No, they cut the wrong things. Keep those schools open! 41%
    I’m on the fence. 8%
    I don’t know. 6%
    I don’t care. 7%

    59% of respondents are ok with the closings or don’t care. Clearly this is not a scientific poll, nor are these statistically analyzed results. But, I wonder what this means for the work to be done to prepare for and pass a referendum next year – if a referendum is determined to be a good idea. Over half of those who were interested enough in the story to register an opinion don’t object (too strenuously) to a school closing.

    Karen Bassler

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    Filed under AMPS, Budget, Referenda

    by | April 23, 2007 · 5:10 pm

    We Are Not Alone #10

    The referendum in Horicon failed by a vote of 873 to 683. Now they face the familiar choices:

    “We are going to have to make a determination if we are going to fund the program or cut programs,” David Westimayer said.

    They are also looking to continue leveraging municipal finances. As Madison moves in this direction, we may face similar problems:

    The district-wide recreation program with the YMCA of Dodge County will be on the agenda of the May 21 board meeting.

    “It is the same contract at the same cost,” McCartney said, noting that money previously received from the city has dried up.

    He noted that city sponsorship would benefit only Horicon residents, while the district funding the program benefits everyone living within the district.

    Thomas J. Mertz

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    Filed under AMPS, Elections, Local News, Referenda, School Finance, We Are Not Alone