HOW MUCH WILL YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT LOSE?
Please take a look at this excerpt and chart from a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article from March 5, 2011: "According to information from the state Department of Public Instruction, the 5.5% revenue cap reduction would lead to losses that range from about $517 per student in the Mukwonago, Slinger and West Bend school district to $874 less per pupil in the Nicolet Union High School District. Milwaukee Public Schools is set to lose an amount near the state average: $556 per pupil.
The average per pupil cut in the four-county Milwaukee area is $599. Though her school system is losing less than that, West Bend School District Superintendent Patricia Herdrich said it also has less to lose than others.
'Obviously, because we're a lower revenue district, we've already made significant cuts,' she said.
Even with the governor's plan to have public employees pay 12% of their health care and 5.8% of their salaries toward their pension costs, Herdrich said her district still would likely come up nearly $4 million short.
PARENTS DO YOU HAVE YOUR CALCULATORS OUT?? DO THE MATH. MULTIPLY PER-PUPIL REVENUE LOST FROM THE CHART TO THE RIGHT BY THE NUMBER OF PUPILS IN YOUR DISTRICT. IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE NUMBER OF PUPILS IN YOUR DISTRICT GO HERE TO THE DATA PROVIDED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.
What does it mean to have a 5.5% reduction in revenue limits per student? Tax policy expert Andrew Reschovsky explains that in his report, and in an interview with Kathleen Dunn on WPR. Listen to that interview here:
And in Milwaukee, the cuts are so deep that MPS may not survive as we know it. According to an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (March 1, 2011):
"We've been saying for a month now that the second shoe was going to drop," said Tom Beebe, executive director of Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools, referring to Walker's recent push for major concessions on benefits from teachers and other public employees. "It wasn't just dropped. It was thrown at the head."
In all, Walker's budget proposal could have dramatic effects on Milwaukee Public Schools, decreasing the amount the district can raise under revenue limits by about $50 million and potentially diverting more state and city taxpayers' dollars to private schools throughout the state's most populous county.
"It's going to be devastating," said Michael Bonds, president of the Milwaukee School Board. "It's almost like a triple hit - the money we lose, the choice proposals and the fact that the budget didn't address the funding flaw in Milwaukee."
That funding flaw refers to the fact that voucher expenses are deducted from Milwaukee's state aid, even though no aid is granted to Milwaukee for those voucher school students.
From the MJS: Mike Langyel, the head of the Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association, was emotional in a phone call to discuss the budget proposal, which he called "a direct attack on public education in Milwaukee."
"In a time of budget cuts, the governor is going to subsidize the tuition of wealthy families by removing the income caps, so that will be an added burden to state government," Langyel said.
BUT IT'S NOT JUST MILWAUKEE
"District superintendents were similarly caught crunching numbers late Tuesday. Matt Gibson, superintendent of the Elmbrook School District in Brookfield, said that while Walker's controversial budget-repair bill would seem to earn the district $3.8 million in savings from changes in health care and pension contributions, the revenue reductions in the governor's proposed budget would cost them $5.4 million, so the savings wouldn't be enough to cover the cut."
BUT Walker says that he is giving school districts
the tools to come out ahead.
And the New Berlin Superintendent was there to support Walker.
Where was MPS Superintendent? Not invited. See his response below.
IS THIS TRUE FOR YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT?
MPS Superintendent Gregory Thornton responds:
According to Dr. Thornton: "The Governor showed a spread sheet and stated that the financial picture is not so bad for districts such as MPS. But the governor’s figures were not complete. He left an entire column of figures out of the equation. The chart showed only how much of the cut in state aid is offset by the potential savings, and his figures do not include the total reduction in spending authority. This is a key difference, since the magnitude of the revenue limit reduction, along with the reduction in categorical aids, is much, much greater."
WHAT WILL THIS DO TO OUR CHILDREN?
According to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, we must ensure "Fair and Sustainable Funding. Our children, no matter where they live in Wisconsin, must have the same educational opportunities. Deferred maintenance, program and staffing cuts, delayed technology purchases, and higher student fees are becoming the norm instead of the exception. Child poverty continues to grow at a rapid rate. Moving beyond current challenges, we must agree on the building blocks of a sustainable funding future for our public schools and libraries. And, we must leverage available state funds and federal dollars to target schools that have the neediest children."
NEWS:
The Legislative Fiscal Bureau has found $636 million in revenue and Governor Walker is "skeptical" about using it to offset cuts to K-12??
Read the Letter to the Editors of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel by two ILMPS Parents:
Dear Editors:
We choose to send our children to a beautiful MPS elementary school because caring teachers, staff, and parents have worked together to give our children an excellent education. Lack of funding over many years means that our children have never had a gym teacher or music teacher, but Gov. Walker’s proposed cuts to K-12 education now mean that our school will be devastated.
We will lose one-third of our teaching staff, including art teacher and librarian. The literacy coach and math teacher leader who helped boost test scores significantly are holding their final sessions. And six more teachers will be cut as class sizes will increase.
On Wednesday we were told that Wisconsin has an extra $600 million of revenue. But the Governor says he is ”skeptical” about using any of that money to offset cuts to public education. First Republicans told us the state was broke, but there was money for corporate tax breaks. Now they tell us Wisconsin has money, but not for our kids?
When our family’s budgets are tight, as parents we do everything possible to put our children’s needs first. Yet Walker is treating our children as if they were the Wall Street bankers who created this financial crisis. This extra revenue gives Walker a chance to do something right. Take back some of the hurt, Governor Walker. Restore funding to K-12 public education.
Read Press Releases from State Superintendent Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools (WAES).
