La Crosse Tribune Opposes Voucher Expansion
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | May 13, 2013
In an editorial yesterday, the La Crosse Tribune laid out strong reasons to oppose private school voucher expansion in Wisconsin. Take a moment to not only read the editorial linked here but also send the editorial to your legislators.
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LFB Estimates $575 Million More in Revenue
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | May 9, 2013
The Legislative Fiscal Bureau today estimated the state will take in $575 million more in general purpose revenue through mid-2015 than previously estimated.
The LFB wrote in a memo this morning that includes an additional $215 million in the current fiscal year followed by a boost of $180 million in 2013-14 and another $180 million in 2014-15.
See the memo.
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Nygren: More Resources Coming for K-12 Education
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | May 9, 2013
Nygren told reporters yesterday Assembly Republicans on the JFC are committed to directing more state aid to K-12 education.
Last week, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald told a WisPolitics.com luncheon in Milwaukee that a per pupil increase was on the way.
Yesterday, 13 Assembly Republicans sent the co-chairs a letter asking them to direct more aid to public school. Walker proposed a boost in state aid for the biennium while keeping revenue limits flat – meaning much of that new GPR would go toward impacting property tax bills.
Nygren said there will likely be an increase in the per-pupil spending limit compared to the guv’s proposal. Vos added Assembly Republicans are committed to keeping property tax bills in line with what homeowners received over the last two years.
Nygren said details on any additional K-12 money were still being worked out and could go to things like categorical aids and the levy credit.
He also cautioned against grabbing for K-12 the $181 million boost the guv proposed giving the UW System. Walker has since said he plans to revamp the UW budget in light of the reserves that have been detailed since he first released his budget, and some have called for redirecting that money to public schools.
But Nygren said that would be one-time money that would add to the structural deficit.
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Fund Balance Talking Points
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | May 9, 2013
On the heals of the UW System financial reserves controversy, the SAA has put together for your information some talking points on the importance of adequate school district fund balance.
We encourage district administrators and business officials to discuss this issue with your boards of education as well as your local news media. Thank you.
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School Choice Group Accused of Not Disclosing
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | May 7, 2013
The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign filed a complaint Tuesday against a national school choice group for failing to disclose $2 million in campaign-related spending to state regulators in the 2012 elections.
The complaint is based on a report by the American Federation for Children detailing its impact on various elections around the country. In that report, the federation said it spent $2.4 million in Wisconsin and helped elected nine Republicans to office here. The group had previously disclosed only $345,000 in spending.
For the entire Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story see here.
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