SAA, WASB, SWSA, WiRSA Issue United Capitol Budget Memo
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | June 9, 2017
“We believe there are sufficient resources in this budget to fully fund both the $200/$204 in per pupil categorical aid and a significant increase in the low revenue ceiling. That is our collective position.”
That is the key message from a collective state budget memo issued this morning by the School Administrators Alliance, the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, the Southeastern Wisconsin Schools Alliance and the Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance.
See the memo here.
Topics: SAA Capitol Reports, SAA Capitol Reports with Email Notifications, SAA Latest Update | No Comments »
Assembly GOP to Hold School Funding Press Conference in Green Bay
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | June 7, 2017
From WisPolitics.com …
Fresh off announcing their K-12 proposal, Assembly Republicans are hitting the road to promote it.
JFC Co-chair John Nygren, R-Marinette, and fellow committee member Mary Felzkowski, R-Irma, will be in Green Bay to tout the plan, which would put nearly $70 million less into K-12 than the guv’s $649 million plan.
But Assembly Republicans argued their plan would result in more money flowing into classrooms than Walker’s proposal because it would focus more on school aids than putting new money into the school levy credit, which is tied to property taxes, not paying for school expenses.
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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.
Topics: SAA Capitol Reports, SAA Capitol Reports with Email Notifications, SAA Latest Update | No Comments »
Assembly GOP Leaders Release New School Funding Plan
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | June 6, 2017
From WisPolitics.com …
Assembly Republicans today released final details of a plan that would invest about $580 million more into K-12 over the next two years compared to current levels.
But that’s about $70 million less than Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal. And while the Assembly GOP plan would lower property taxes compared to current levels, it would fall short of the guv’s demand that property tax bills in 2018 would be lower than 2014.
The plan also would benefit low-spending districts more than Walker’s proposal and include a provision to only allow school districts to put referendums before voters in the spring or fall general elections.
Co-chair John Nygren, R-Marinette, told reporters the Joint Finance Committee likely cannot meet until Assembly and Senate Republicans can reach a “gentleman’s agreement” on K-12 because it impacts so many of the remaining pieces in the budget.
Read the proposal here.
Topics: Legislative Action, SAA Capitol Reports, SAA Capitol Reports with Email Notifications, SAA Latest Update | No Comments »
Legal Update: Seventh Circuit Court Of Appeals Issues Decision Confirming Transgender Student’s Rights Under Title IX
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | June 6, 2017
From the Legal Side…
The Strang Patteson Law Firm has recently published this Legal Update. The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has upheld an injunction that was issued against a Wisconsin school district, effectively concluding that a transgender student is entitled under Title IX to use the school restroom of the gender with which the student identifies.
The SAA regularly receives these legal updates and we believe this is valuable information for SAA members. We are distributing this update to SAA members with the permission of Strang Patteson.
Topics: SAA Capitol Reports, SAA Capitol Reports with Email Notifications, SAA Latest Update, SAA Legal Side | No Comments »