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More on Assembly School Funding Plan
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | June 6, 2017
Assembly GOP leaders today publicly released their school funding plan, calling it a starting point for negotiations with the Governor and the Senate. The plan includes many provisions that we support, and some that we have significant concerns over. We are very pleased with the strong support for providing more resources for our public schools.
The centerpiece of the plan is an increase in the low revenue ceiling from the current $9,100 per pupil to $9,800 in 2018-19 (the second year of the biennium) and each year thereafter. The “cost” of doing so would be a reduction of about $90 million (from the Governor’s budget bill) in the per pupil categorical aid. This move would increase the per pupil categorical by $150 per pupil in 2017-18 and an additional $200 per pupil in 2018-19, not the $200/$204 proposed by the Governor.
Several SAA members have asked what the SAA’s position is on this issue. Our position is the same as it has been throughout this budget process. You might recall that per pupil revenue increases (of at least $200 per pupil, per year) and an increase in the low revenue ceiling to $9,900 per pupil (over the biennium) were both part of the SAA’s 2017-19 Legislative Agenda. Since last fall, the SAA membership has consistently and overwhelmingly considered the per pupil revenue increases to be their number one priority.
We understand that some Assembly Republicans have been contacting administrators in support of this plan. If legislators are characterizing this as a choice between fully funding the per pupil categorical and the low revenue ceiling increase, then, simply put, I think that is a false choice. We believe there are sufficient resources in this budget process to fully fund both the $200/$204 in per pupil aid and a significant increase in the low revenue ceiling.
There are a wide range of other provisions in the proposal that we continue to review. Here are several we support and some that we have concerns about:
Support
- Delete the provisions requiring school districts to make certifications related to employee payment of health care costs and pass-through of funding to school buildings as a condition of receiving the per pupil aid increase.
- Approve Governor’s recommendation to provide $2.5 million beginning in 2018-19 for mental health collaborative grants for school districts, and provide an additional $1 million for the grants in 2018-19.
- Increase the appropriation for high-cost special education aid to fully fund qualifying districts for reimbursement of 90% of eligible prior year costs above $30,000, rather than 70% as under current law.
- Increase school breakfast aids by $880,000 annually.
Concerns
- Reduce sparsity aid funding (from the Governor’s recommendation) by more than $18 million over the biennium.
- Incorporate the provisions of Assembly Bill 269 which would limit school district referenda to being held on spring election or general election days.
- Increase open enrollment transfer amount by about $1,400 from current $6,748 to $8,188 (equal to independent charter school per pupil payment amount).
- Raise the passing score on required Civics gradation test from 60 percent to 80 percent.
There will be more analysis to come on this and other plans, I’m sure. Also, we need to recognize that this budget process is far from over. Senate GOP leadership has already rejected this latest Assembly GOP plan. Let’s all take a deep breath and stay tuned.
Thanks for listening and, as always, thanks for everything you do everyday on behalf of the students you serve.
See Milwaukee Journal Sentinel coverage here.
See Wisconsin State Journal coverage here.
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