by | October 2, 2009 · 10:55 am

WAES School-Funding Reform Update — “Pennies for Kids”!

waesgraphicFrom the Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools.  Table of contents below, click here for the a pdf of the full update, click on linked items for related content on AMPS.

I also want to highlight the most important and exciting item:  the “Pennies for Kids” dedicated sales tax campaign.  This is a major initiative to try to get our state lawmakers to enact a new revenue source for investments in education.  Although not the “big fix” comprehensive reform so many of us have been working for, it would provide crucial resources to meet the growing crisis caused by decreased state aid and rising school property taxes, while simultaneously moving Wisconsin closer tor adequate, equitable and sustainable school funding.  Watch for more in the coming weeks and months (Disclosure:  I am on the Board of WAES).

Here is what the WAES update has to say:

As crisis grows, WAES goes after “Pennies for Kids”

The crisis of funding in Wisconsin ’s public schools is so deep and so wide that immediate legislative action is needed to just protect the education our children have now─much less the education they deserve in the future.

To address that crisis, WAES has launched “Pennies for Kids,” a campaign to raise the sales tax one-cent to help fill the gap in public school funding created by the 2009-11 budget and to try to keep the lid on property taxes. At the same time, WAES will continue to work for comprehensive reform, understanding the long-term answer to the problem is a new, sustainable funding system that recognizes the needs of children and the goal of quality education for every student.

If passed, a one-cent increase in the sales tax will raise about $830 million annually. According to the plan being worked out by WAES members, the largest portion of that revenue would be devoted to children in classrooms through increases in categorical aid. Additionally, because it would increase the state’s share of school aid “Pennies for Kids” would slow increases in property taxes expected in the wake of the most recent state budget. To find out more about this new initiative — and to find out how you can get involved — got to http://www.excellentschools.org.

WAES School-funding reform update, week of Sept. 28

Thomas J. Mertz

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by | September 25, 2009 · 4:34 pm

MMSD & MTI Contract “Tentative” Settlement

According to a Madison Teachers Inc. press release and NBC15, a tentative agreement has been reached between the Madison Metropolitan School District and MTI on the July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2011 teacher bargaining unit contract.  MTI members will vote on the terms October 15 and the Board of Education is tentatively scheduled to consider the settlement on October 19.

The base salary increase is 1%, the total package 3.93%.   There appears to be some tinkering and savings, but no major changes in health insurance provisions.   This is about what would have happened if the QEO was still in force.

Provisions to enable 4 year-old kindergarten are included.

The key players — Dan Nerad and John Matthews —  had somewhat different spins:

Superintendent Daniel Nerad said, “I am very pleased that we have reached this tentative agreement after an extensive period of bargaining. We have addressed a significant number of contract language related items. A key example lies in the area of elementary planning time. Of greatest significance to the District is an agreement over language that would allow for the implementation of a four-year-old kindergarten program.” “Also, in working with MTI we have been able to provide a salary increase, in part, as a result of reductions in health care costs. I appreciate working with John Matthews in accomplishing these insurance savings. I look forward to presenting this tentative agreement to the Board of Education in the near future.”

John Matthews said, “But the economic provisions do not adequately reward those who have made the Madison schools among the best in the country. With the State usurping local control as regards to school funding, this is a matter that the State must fix; there is nothing local school boards can do, given the State’s heavy hand. The State must realize that their funding formula for education is inadequate, and that it is causing the dissolution of the great education once available to Wisconsin children. That must be fixed and it is up to the Governor and the Legislators to do it.”

One thing I like about John Matthews is that he always can be counted on to focus attention on growing need for our state government to enact comprehensive school funding reform.  An agitator after my own heart.

As one who follows these things, I have to note that the press release includes MTI and MMSD contact info, but is only posted on the MTI site (not the MMSD, as of 4:30 PM, 9-25-09).

Thomas J. Mertz

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by | September 25, 2009 · 1:33 pm

Evers promises “education for all children”

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State Superintendent Tony Evers gave his first “State of Education” speech on September 24, 2009 (full video from WisconsinEye, here).  The DPI press release highlighted an “agenda for all children,” leading with this quote from the speech:

“I pledged to the citizens of Wisconsin that I would work to ensure every child is a graduate. To do this we must: recruit and retain quality educators, invest in innovation, ensure safe and respectful schools, advance common sense and transparent accountability, and work toward fair and sustainable school funding. We must educate children now for jobs that will be the foundation of Wisconsin’s prosperity.”

He hailed accomplishments of the recent past,  spoke of implementing innovative teacher compensation systems, the ongoing work on “common core standards,” the importance of improving education in Milwaukee, new and better assessments  and —  as the news report at the top indicates —  expanded learning opportunities through technology.

Evers recommitted to  his priorities from his inaugural:

• recruit and retain quality educators,

• invest in innovation,

• ensure safe and respectful schools,

• advance common sense and transparent accountability, and

• work toward fair and sustainable school funding.

He also acknowledged that these are difficult times but emphasized:

We must commit now to increase resources to schools and libraries as the economy improves. I repeat. We must commit now to increase resources to schools and libraries as the economy improves.

Looking to the future with hope and working for a better future were major themes, especially in the closing paragraphs.

In the next couple of weeks and months, I will work with many of you to move these dreams to reality.

Expect more to come. This is no time to have an aversion to risk. Life is too short. My parents taught me to leave this world a better place than you found it. We all need to help and provide our ideas. And, we all need to join together for our kids’ education.

This past year has hit many hard. We know that the struggles of families too often hit hardest on those we aim to protect and help flourish: our children. In many cases, our schools and public libraries are the only place of certainty and security for our children.

But in the end, it’s all about the people who serve children. Every day our educators and public librarians are there for our kids. We must value their work; raise the level of public discourse; and provide all we can to support their missions: to educate Wisconsin’s children. These hard-working public servants modestly reach for those small successes that add up over years of schooling to an educated, productive member of our society.

Educators are building Wisconsin’s economic future every day. Educators are tomorrow’s job creators. They don’t expect shout outs, high fives, or tweets.

They do expect and deserve our support and commitment to educating all our students. Let’s work for our kids and their parents, our educators, and for Wisconsin’s future.

Thank you for being here today.

God bless all of our children, their parents, and educators.

There is much here to like and many ways that we as parents, educators and citizens can help.  It will take the efforts of many

Jackie Woodruff

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by | September 25, 2009 · 8:30 am

Education Tweak #13 — Bill Gates Pulls the Strings

Click on image for pdf.

Click on image for pdf.

Previous EdTweaks can be found at www.edtweak.org.

Thomas J. Mertz

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by | September 18, 2009 · 4:51 pm

No to the Max: The New Trend in School District Tax Levies?

not to the maxAt a discordant meeting last night, the Kenosha School Meeting approved a 2.17% tax levy increase.*  The maximum levy allowed under the state budget — after the Governor and Legislature slashed  state aid and lowered revenue limits — was 6.03%.

This trend of not taxing to the max deserves lots of attention, but a few words about the discord first.  The Kenosha case is strange, but the state level refusal to take bold action to reform the revenue and budgeting policies for adequacy, sustainability and equity has shifted many of the cuts and the tax increases to local governing authorities making them the focus of misdirected complaints from both the Right and Left (here is an amazing example from the Right — the blogger is an aide to Senator Mary Lazich, accuses the distict officials of dishonesty based on the state created shift to property tax revenues and also has the gall to call the School Meeting “undemocratic” because only people he disagrees with were in attendance). This frustration needs to be directed at the state officials who can actually enact real reforms).

The meeting described in and the comments appended to this news story demonstrate that the state’s shift of a larger share of under-funding education to property taxes has given the anti-tax crowd a new place to vent and perhaps some new adherents.  What is interesting about Kenosha is that unlike in Washburn —  where the teabaggers came out to protest the mil rate is going up 15% —  there is little or no basis for their sentiments.

The 2.17% levy increase is not large, the resulting 7.37 mil rate is not large, in four of the last eight years the mil rate in Kenosha has been reduced and the 2009-10 mil rate is significantly below the 2003-4 rate of 7.72 and far, far smaller than the 1991-2 rate of 9.54 (all figures from the preliminary June budget).

The gap between the 2.17 mil rate approved and the allowed 6.03 and the $3.5 to $5.0 million in additional cuts mandated by this budget are both large and will have a large, negative impact on education in Kenosha.  These cuts have to be sen in the context of a school funding system that has all but mandated annual program and service cuts for the last 16 years (I am not clear what cuts are being contemplated and it appears that some use of the Fund Balance is likely).

The combination of cuts, property tax increases and  under levies is happening all over the state.  In counties, cities and school districts, most of the attention has been on the first two and few realize that many of  their beleaguered local officials are not taxing to the max.  Even fewer are thinking about what this means in the short and long term.  I don’t know how extensive this trend is, but it is worth keeping an eye on.

School districts that I am aware of who will not tax to the max include, Madison, Kenosha, Appleton, Janesville, New Berlin, Whitnall, Oshkosh (I think), Greenfield (if those who attended the School Meeting have their way), Turner,  and I am sure many I’ve missed and more to come (please let me know of other districts in the comments).

In the short term it means more cuts and often lower Fund Balances (which may lead to higher interest rates for borrowing — see Dane County for example).  In the current economy, more cuts will mean trying to do more with less.  That usually can’t be done and certainly cannot be sustained.  It means closing schools and limiting educational opportunities, it means not filling potholes and plowing streets, it means telling the cold, the disabled and the hungry “no,” it means that investments that would form the basis of future prosperity aren’t being made, it means less safe streets, delayed infrastructure, and lowered expectations for the present and the future.  This is what is happening every day at every budget hearing.

I am not clear on the mechanisms for any adjustments that are made to state aid due to levies that are below those anticipated.  I’ve got a couple of queries out and will pass along the wonky details as soon as I am able.

Cuts and lower levies this year will also shape the perceptions of budgets and levies in future years.  Every cut that officials make regretfully, every fiscally based redefinition from essential to discretionary, every abandoned cost of living adjustment, every potential investment to create growth that is passed over…provides ammunition to those who rail against activist government, those who refuse to recognize that government is the mechanism by which a humane society cares for the neediest, an engaged society shapes the present, and a wise society invests in the future.

The precedent of smaller levies will make future levy increases seem larger.  In Madison, the current plan is to split the huge two-year levy increase into two very large levy increases, with the first (this year) being well below the allowed amount (such bad choices, there is no good way to handle this).  This make a certain kind of sense from both a policy and a public relations perspective.  Still I worry about the message, the precedent, the impact and even the public relations.  On the last, part of me says just get the worst of it over with, enact as much as you can this year, take the heat and move on.

Fiscally, school districts that do not levy to the max for two consecutive years lose that authority in the future.  Their future levy limits are based on the lower amounts actually levied.  Madison will avoid this by levying the general fund to the max and cutting the debt service levy (if I understand correctly).  Other district may not have that option, so the underfunding will be compounded in future budgets.

As I’ve said in past posts, the shift to property taxes is wrong and I have sympathy for those are saying “this is too much” and asking local officials to limit their levies.  I also have sympathy for the local officials who are hearing those voices and limiting their levies.  I just want all who are involved to act with an awareness that this is a partial and temporary solution that is harmful in many direct and indirect ways.  I’d also like all those involved to join those of us pushing state officials to take the steps that only they can take to get us out of this destructive cycle.

There is one more thing I’d like and that is to see our State Senators and Members of the Assembly attending the county, city and school budget meetings; hearing the voices that cannot penetrate the closed doors where they cut their secret deals; witnessing the local officials struggle with the hard choices the state officials largely avoided (read Brenda Konkel’s report from one of these meetings: “Raise My Taxes!“); and maybe, just maybe explaining to one and all why they believed their work was something to boast about.  Senator Fred Risser and Representative Mark Pocan, consider this a personal invitation from one of your constituents who has supported you in election after election.

Thomas J. Mertz

*KUSD is one of the districts in Wisconsin that continues the old tradition of the Annual School Meeting handling budget approvals.

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by | September 18, 2009 · 3:37 pm

Don’t “Get Lost in the Numbers”

41-1I was cleaning  out old links and came across this wonderful editorial from the Eau Claire Leader Telegram.  It really really does a great job of explaining what is wrong with the “data driven” numbers obsessed educational policy decision-making and providing some perspective.  Here is the whole thing:

Editorial: As school year starts, don’t get numbed by numbers

When observing our educational system through the lens of the media, it’s easy to get lost in the numbers.

We’re not talking about the numbers kids will find in multiplication tables and quadratic equations when they return to classrooms in the Chippewa Valley this week; we mean the kind of numbers that make headlines.

There are the good numbers, such as standardized test scores, which typically show local schools meeting and exceeding state and national averages.

There are bad numbers as well – unfortunately, too many of them: the millions that are perpetually being cut from school budgets because of state aid shortfalls, not to mention the compensation numbers of a certain Eau Claire school district administrator most in the community wish would just go away.

On top of this, there are confusing, ambiguous numbers – those used to calculate allowable increases in teachers’ salary and benefits packages, for instance, or those mysterious ones known as “mill rates” – the kind that drive endless political debates and generate hard feelings among educators, taxpayers and elected officials.

All of these numbers are important, which is why you’ll find them in the pages of this newspaper. However, focusing on the numbers alone can distract our attention from other parts of the educational equation. To put it another way, if we focus only on the ‘rithmatic, we forget about the readin’ and ‘ritin’.

Measuring, tabulating and trying to improve test scores is important to education, but that’s far from the mind of a kindergartner who can’t wait to use his brand new box of crayons on the first day of school.

School budgets and the decisions that shape them are vital too, but so is the pride of an elementary student who has finished her first chapter book, the joy of a middle-schooler tackling a novel, or the excitement of a high school student unfolding Shakespearean sonnets.

Likewise, while it’s necessary to ensure our educators are paid in a way that’s fair to them and the taxpayers, it’s also necessary to acknowledge and support teachers as they inspire young people to learn, work hard and express themselves.

And though community residents deserve honest school administrators and elected school board members, we shouldn’t let the numbers games some people have played undercut our support for the goal of our educational system: producing good citizens capable of improving their own and others’ lives.

The 2009 school year is a brand-new spiral-bound notebook. May the numbers and letters that fill it in the coming months tell a positive story.

– Tom Giffey, editorial page editor

Thomas J. Mertz

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by | September 15, 2009 · 9:06 pm

Recipe for Disaster(s), Or the Wisconsin Democrats’ Fall Agenda

I just read the release and memo on the Democratic agenda for the Fall legislative session.  The agenda is  a recipe for disasters.

The disaster that matters to most of us in the state is already in progress as school districts cut programs and services while raising property taxes at rates that have not been seen for years (read this report from Kenosha, look at Rhinelander); as municipalities trim essential services, cut investments that would lead to recovery and growth while also raising property taxes  and fees (here is the latest from Eau Claire); and counties axe public safety and  safety net programs, close nursing homes and like everybody else, raise property taxes and fees (here is a recent report on Dane County).  This Fall budget season is bad; the 2010-11 will be worse if there isn’t bolder action from the state.

The disaster that probably matters most to the Democratic leadership will come in the 2010 elections.  Their vulnerable members will lose if all they bring back to the voters is window dressing campaign finance reforms and tougher drunk driving laws (this isn’t quite fair, some of  the agenda is good — Green Jobs in particular –,  but it is not anywhere near sufficient to meet the crises we are facing).  Even the Democrats in “safe seats” (like in Madison) may well find themselves surprised by challengers from the left who demand better and bolder action.

I don’t care what their polling says, they need to take their heads out of the sand and look around at what is happening with the schools, with the counties, with the cities and most of all with the families they claim to be “Standing Up” for.  They need to look beyond November 2010 and act in the long term interests of our still great state.  Mostly they need to recognize that the revenue and budgeting assumptions they have been working from cannot be sustained.

Some realize this.  Representative Cory Mason is proposing a jobs program funded by higher taxes on those earning over $1 million annually.  A “Save Our Services” campaign has started, seeking to fund essential services via an expanded sales tax base (info on the October 1 Madison rally here).  Last night the Madison Metropolitan School District Board of Education voted unanimously in support of a resolution calling for a sales tax increase dedicated to school funding.  This idea is the focus of a “Pennies for Kids” campaign that the Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools is in the process of initiating (this is just beginning, stay tuned).

Many of us would like to see even broader changes in our state’s taxation, budgeting and investment policies, but something has to be done to meet the crisis and these are good steps.  the Institute for Wisconsin’s Future and Wisconsin Council on Children and Families Catalog of Tax Reform Options for Wisconsin is still the best place to begin thinking about revamping the entire system in order to achieve adequacy, equity and sustainability.

If the Democrats stick with their “do little or nothing” agenda, the crises will grow all around the state and come back to hit them hard in November 2010.  When that happens they will have no one to blame but themselves.  With power comes responsibility, with failure of effort and accomplishment comes accountability.

One closing observation:  There is nothing in the Democratic agenda about Governor Jim Doyle’s “Scramble for the Crumbs”/ Race to the Top package.  I hope this indicates that many in the party are too smart to sell what is left of  their souls for a lottery ticket in a rigged game where the payoff is one-time funding far below the needs of our schools ($80 million is what I hear).

Thomas J. Mertz

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by | September 14, 2009 · 2:57 pm

Education Tweak #12 – Arne Duncan: “You Lie” (+ Bob Dylan Bonus)

Click on image for pdf.

Click on image for pdf.

Previous EDTweaks can be found at www.edtweak.org.

And thanks to my brother for making the connection between the Joe Wilson “You lie” outburst and this classic Bob Dylan performance.

Thomas J. Mertz

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by | September 11, 2009 · 10:01 pm

(Updated) MMSD Board of Education Agenda — Lost & Found (and comments)

Update:  Board President Arlene Silveira sent me a copy of an amended agenda and the Wisconsin Association of School Boards resolutions are now an action item for the Students Achievement and Performance Monitoring Committee (committee agenda here).  The “Weekly Notice” link has also been fixed (over the weekend…that’s impressive).

On the WASB matter, I’ve had lots of talks with Board members in Madison and elsewhere about how to get schools the resources they need.  One idea that has some support is adding a dedicated statewide sales tax to the school finance mix.  It is clear that the continued shift to property taxes cannot be sustained, that the current sources of state revenues are not sufficient or sustainable and that the resultant program and service cuts in schools around the state are forcing districts to endanger our proud tradition of quality public education for all.  A sales tax won’t fix everything, but it will help.  Board members (in Madison and elsewhere) have been supportive but the idea may have come together too late  to become part of the WASB resolution process this year.   We’ll see.

(Original Post, see comments also)

It was a more than little difficult finding the agendas for the Madison Metropolitan School District Board of Education Committee meetings scheduled for Monday, September 14.

First, it looks like MMSD is again neglecting to send notices to those who subscribed to their “send notices” list.  Since no notice had arrived, I began checking the “Weekly Notice of Meetings” link on the Board page periodically.  Early on Friday the link gave last week’s notice; at some point it began giving a “page not found error” (pdf of this from 7:45 PM 9/11/09).

I assumed the page was being updated and kept trying.  Finally, at about 6:00 PM I realized that there would be no update and started searching.  Sure enough, a search for “weekly notice” and September 2009 led me to this page which led me to the agenda linked above.

I wouldn’t make a big deal of this, except that this is an organization that has not updated their budget page with the state budget bad news from June; an organization with apparently nothing to post on “State and Federal budget issues” at the same time their Board of Education is writing op eds on the topic ; an organization whose “Recently in the News” page is stuck in January of 2009; an organization that has not issued a news release since June (at least according to their web site)…Communication is clearly a problem.

We’ve been hearing about communication problems for years.  I have two pieces of advice.  First, it is important to begin by getting the little things right.  Second, if the people in charge of communications, the web page, public relations and all that are not doing their jobs well, find new people.

Now the obligatory but heartfelt clarification.  There are many people at MMSD who have been consistently helpful with my requests for information.  I know that if instead of periodically  clicking today I had dropped the Board Secretary a note, I would have had the agenda in my in box and the link would have been fixed (instead I assumed an update was in process and took my son to the beach till it was too late to drop that note).   I do appreciate the efforts that have been made.

Enough of my trials and tribulations, time for some notes on the agendas.  First I want to note three things that are not there.

There is nothing about the budget reconciliation.  Looking at the Board calendar, that means the earliest there will be a public discussion of what are major decisions about taxation, budgeting, spending and borrowing will be the October 5 committee meetings (things now go to committee before they go to the Board), or three weeks prior to the final approval of the tax levy and budget.  State statues dictate that the budget be presented to the public one month prior to a public budget hearing.  That was done in the Spring, but much as changed due to the miserable state budget.   I think that an effort to make the local changes in a manner respectful of the spirit of public knowledge and input on the budget is in order (more on the budget revisions here and here).  This is another little thing — or given the magnitude of the changes, big thing —  in the realm of public engagement that is not being done correctly.

Second, and germane to the state created budget mess, I expected that there would be some discussion of resolutions to be proposed to the Wisconsin Association of School Boards.  From the discussion at the August 17 meeting I was under the impression that these would be finalized at a public meeting prior to the September 15 deadline.  Apparently these are being done outside the public eye, with no formal discussion or vote.   Not good.

Last, there is an agenda item for an update on the “class and a half” specials fix, but no documentation.  Id hope this isn’t another case like “Ready, Set, Goals” where the good intentions produced no tangible result.

No time to comment on what is on the agendas (maybe on Monday), except to say the item on short term borrowing highlights yet another way that Wisconsin’s school finance system is broken and if the people pushing value added really believe that reports like the one included are adding much of use in policy decisions, they need to stop drinking the Kool Aid (same goes for all the data fetishists in Arne Duncan’s gang).

Thomas J. Mertz

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by | September 9, 2009 · 3:58 pm

Wisconsin School Referenda in Tough Times

20081008_mpls_levysign_33With most Wisconsin school districts contemplating or committed to sizable local property tax increases for 2009-10 and looking at continued service and program cuts combined with more property tax increases in 2010-11, this is not the best time to be asking the voters to approve a referendum.  Personal budgets are tight, the economy is uncertain and there is a delicate balance between program and service cuts as demonstrations of fiscal responsibility and program and service cuts undermining quality to the extent that it is difficult to garner further support (the “starve the beast” idea).

Yet because the problems caused by the latest state budget were piled on top of 16 years of struggles due to the broken state school finance system, some districts feel they have no choice.  These include ones seeking building projects, ones who feel they cannot endure any more cuts and continue to provide the quality of education they are committed to, and ones that are anticipating the expiration of a non-recurring referendum and the budget gap this will produce.

Although there has been little or no official acknowledgment or discussion, the Madison Metropolitan School District is in this last category.  At the end of the 2009-10 fiscal year, Madison will lose about $5.5 million in revenue authority for ‘maintenance and technology.”   The probable cuts for 2010-11 are bad; without this money they will be more horrific than anything we have experienced lately.  If the district wants to extend this authority, the time to start making their pitch is now.   I hope they do and I hope they get started.

Madison has not begun discussions, but others have.  There are five referenda on the ballot at special elections in October and November 2009 and more being contemplated.

Two of the ones that are set are for building projects.  These are being fast tracked in order to try for the 0% interest ARRA srtimulus bonds.

On November 3, voters in Pewaukee will vote on $24.95 million in debt authorization for classroom construction and other renovations, including a swimming pool (more from the district here and from a pro-referendum community group here).  That same day the Trevor-Wilmont voters will  decide on an $11 million plan to build an addition and renovate (more from the district here).

Pewaukee is also asking for $400,000 in annual recurring authority for general operating purposes for the new facilities.

Wheatland will go back to the voters on October 27, asking for four years of nonrecurring authority in the amount of $300,000 per year.  Nonrecurring authority in this amount expired at the end of the 1008-9 year, so this is in a sense a renewal.

A similar referendum failed last April (here and here).  The language is a great example in truth in marketing:

BE IT RESOLVED by the School Board of the Joint School District Number 1, Towns of Wheatland, Brighton, Randall and Salem, Kenosha County, Wisconsin, that the revenues included in the School District budget for the 2009-2010 school year and for three school years thereafter, to and including the 2012-2013 school year be authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91, Wisconsin Statutes, by $300,000 a year, for non-recurring purposes in order to maintain the current educational level of the District and cover shortfalls due to decreased funding.” (italics and bold added).

Sad but true, the shortfalls are bigger than ever and referenda continue to be the only way to fully fund education.

On October 6, 2009 the Whitehall district has a three year non recurring maintenance, technology and infrastructure referendum on the ballot. The amounts are $200,000 for 2009-10, $150,00 for 2010-11 and $100,000 for 2011-12.  Superintendent Mike Beighley explained the thinking behind the referendum:

“When we look at the ability to improve our district with the limited increase in taxes, I think we have an obligation at least to present that to the public as an option,” said Beighley.

All across the state other districts see similar opportunities to “improve,” yet know that refrerenda are difficult and the odds of passage are less than 50%, so they don’t even ask.

Two districts struggling to finalize referenda plans are Wisconsin Dells and Rhinelander.

In the Dells, the possibility of the ARRA 0% bonding makes building an addition for 4 year-old kindergarten an attractive option. The district is holding a community meeting on September 9 and may go for the November 3 date.  They are also considering an operating referendum to make up for part of  the state budget created mess:

[District Administrator Chuck] Whitsell also said the district is facing an $800,000 budget deficit next school year, and because of no raise in the per pupil taxing authority it has been given from the state, the district might ask taxpayers to increase the revenue limits in another referendum question.

I hope they do ask for the operating money and get it.

In Rhinelander the need is clear, but the path to meeting the need has been continually blocked.  It is one of those districts that has been caught in almost all the faults of the current school funding system.  The district is geographically large, but the economies of scale are small or negative.  Enrollment has declined and incomes are not great, but property values remain relatively high.  Referenda have repeatedly failed.  There have been cuts for 16 years, 150 positions have been lost in the last seven years and more are on the table.

Here in Madison we think we have experienced the failures of the school funding system (and we have to a great extent), but I talk to my friends in Rhinelander and can only shake my head and think how lucky we are to have avoided the full weight of these failures.

Dating back to 2004, 10 operating referenda have been voted down in Rhinelander.  Yet it looks like they will try again.  I am filled with admiration for their perseverance and commitment.

The date hasn’t been set, but the word is  Rhinelander voters will get two questions this time.  One will ask for three years of $1,5 million revenue authority for operations and the other is for $13.7 million in construction bonding to maintain and remodel facilities.

Superintendent Roger Erdahl summed up the situation succinctly:

“It would stop closing buildings, it would stop laying off staff, which are the techniques we currently use to balance our budget.”

Here is what will happen if there is no successful referendum (from NewsoftheNorth.Net):

The following actions would be taken in the year 2010-11, in order of priority:

  • Close and sell South Parking building, requiring a mandatory grade re-configuration, for a savings of $117,000.
  • Close and sell Cassian-Woodboro building, with an accompanying grade re-configuration, for a savings of $120,000.
  • Reduce extra-curricular activities for a savings of $27,800.
  • Reduce custodial staff, for a savings of $472,000.
  • Reduce regular education paraprofessional staff, for a savings of $200,000.
  • Reduce full-time teaching staff by 12.5 by raising class sizes from the current low 20s to low to mid-30s in grades 4-12; or by reducing electives at the middle and high schools; or by doing a combination of larger class sizes and the reduction of electives, for a savings of $1 million.

In the year 2011-12, the following drawdown actions would be taken:

  • Reduce full-time staff, raise class sizes and reduce electives to achieve a savings of $296,000.
  • Decertify the elementary and secondary charter school and absorb these students into the other district school buildings for a savings of $240,000.
  • Reduce high school graduation requirements and move to a six-period day; reduce staff at the middle school and eliminate all professional travel and staff development, for a savings of $160,000.
  • Eliminate all Fund 10 staff development and travel and impose a moratorium on the acquisition of textbooks and instructional materials; eliminate middle school activities and travel; reduce administration staff, for a savings of $320,000.
  • Move 7th and 8th grade to the high school building; with grades 3 – 6 moving to the middle school building to reduce full-time staff, for a savings of $240,000.
  • Close and sell Crescent school building for a savings of $125,000.
  • Moratorium on all maintenance upkeep and repair of buildings, except for emergencies, for a savings of $500,000.

This is the destruction of public education.  This is the inevitable result of what Ruth Page Jones has called the “Going out of Business Plan” that is Wisconsin’s system for investing in education and the future.

Next time the Governor or a Legislator starts gabbing about how “education is a priority we protected in the state budget,” drop them a line and ask about Rhinelander.  Ask them if education has been “strengthened” as their political mouthpiece claims. Ask them what they are going to do to fix the mess they have made and inherited.

And be proactive.  The best way to help the children of Rhinelander and Wisconsin is to work for change via the Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools (WAES).  Our state needs to look  for ways to fully fund the education of every child in every district, we need to consider a “Cents for Schools” dedicated sales tax, we need to make sure that the money is going where it is needed most, we need to do better.  WAES is the loudest and clearest voice saying these things.  Lend your voice and make the call for reform even louder.

Thomas J. Mertz

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