Overview
of Joint Finance Committee action on the state budget
The Joint Finance Committee completed action on the 1999-2001 budget
on Thursday, June 11. The bill will proceed to the Assembly before consideration
by the Senate. Any differences in budget policy between the two houses
will likely be settled by a Conference Committee.
Highlights of Joint Finance Committee Action on the Budget:
Tuesday, June 8, 1999:
- High School Graduation Test - Delete $3,597,000 GPR in 1999-00
and $6,600,000 GPR in 2000-01 and 6.0 GPR positions as well as the
related current law requirement for DPI to develop a high school graduation
test. Delete the current law requirement relating to school district
administration of a high school graduation test as well as the requirement
that a school board cannot grant a high school diploma to any pupil
unless the pupil has passed the high school graduation test.
- Milwaukee Neighborhood Schools Initiative -Highlights: Approve
a motion that outlines an initiative to create neighborhood schools
for the Milwaukee public school system; require the MPS Board of Directors
to submit a plan to the legislature by January 1, 2000 for implementation
of the plan; set various goals and guidelines for voluntary participation
by parents and children in the inner-city busing program; authorize
the state to issue up to $200 million in guaranteed moral obligation
bonds to fund the neighborhood schools plan; phase in the plan over
a five year period and create a Legislative Council Study Committee
to examine the Chapter 220 Inter-district busing program in the greater
Milwaukee area.
Friday, June 4,1999:
- Department of Work Force Development -Approve the creation
of the governor's Work-based Learning Board. The a new Work-Based
Learning Board will be chaired by the Governor with other members
representing the WTCS, DWD, organized labor, business and industry
and the public. The WBL Board will administer the programs currently
administered by the Division of Connecting Education and Work within
the Department of Workforce Development as well as several other new
and existing programs. WEAC opposed creation of the new board.
Thursday, May 20: The JFC completed action on most of the Department
of Public Instruction related issues in the budget. Highlights of the
JFC action include:
- Special Education Funding - Increase categorical aid for
special education by $35 million over the next two years. The governor
proposed a freeze on categorical aid for special education. In addition,
provide $1.5 million to County Children with Disabilities Education
Boards.
- SAGE Class Size Reduction Program - Fund the SAGE class size
reduction program to include all schools in which 65% or more of the
students come from low-income families. This will boost the SAGE program
funding to $18.5 million in 1999-2000 and $34.6 million in 2000-'01.
The SAGE program will grow from 80 to 146 schools statewide. This
expansion will add 53 schools in Milwaukee and 13 out-state schools
to the program. Currently there are 66 schools out-state and 14 in
Milwaukee. The SAGE program improves academic accountability and involves
the entire community in school activities. SAGE schools are required
to sign contracts with the state agreeing to: require high academic
standards with a demanding curriculum, increase parental involvement,
embrace the “lighted school house” concept – where
schools are open early and late in the day for family and community
events – provide staff development opportunities, and develop
accountability plans.
- Preschool to Grade 5 Grants - Provide $350,200 annually for
P-5 categorical aids. The P-5 program operates in 39 elementary schools
in four school districts with high concentrations of economically
disadvantaged low-achieving pupils. It promotes 4-year-old-kindergarten,
remedial assistance for low-performing pupils, parent involvement
and staff development. P-5 schools are excluded from the SAGE program.
- Revenue Cap Relief - Provide $6.5 million for an inflationary
adjustment to the revenue caps. This will allow school districts to
increase revenue to $212.43 per pupil in 1999-2001 and $216.68 in
2000-'01. The governor recommended freezing the per pupil cap at $208.88
indefinitely.
- Revenue Cap Relief - Provide $1.5 million to decrease the
disparity between low-revenue and high-revenue school districts in
the state. This will provide additional flexibility under the caps
for the poorest districts in the state.
- Revenue Cap Relief - Approve the governor's plan to relieve
the impact of revenue controls on districts with declining enrollments.
This provision allows school districts to calculate decreasing pupil
counts as 75% of what they otherwise would be for the purposes of
calculating allowable revenue increases under the caps. However, the
committee modified this plan to apply the same 75% calculation to
increasing enrollments.
- School Referendum - Cap the amount of state aid available
for school referendum costs to the actual referenda-approved school
district debt levy or $420 million. This amount will be indexed to
the rate of inflation in the future. Eliminate language from the budget
that restricts local school districts ability to schedule local referendum.
- Standards and Testing/No Social Promotion (4th & 8th Grades)
-Approve funding to continue the 4th and 8th grade knowledge and
concepts examination. Modify the "no social promotion" aspect
of 4th and 8th grade testing. Beginning in 2002-2003, School districts
will be required to adopt a written policy specifying the criteria
for promoting a pupil from the 4th to the 5th grade or from the 8th
to the 9th grade. The new policy must apply to pupils enrolled in
charter schools. School districts must include the following criteria:
(a) the pupil's score on the exam; (b) the pupil's academic performance;
(c) the recommendations of teachers; and (d) any other criteria specified
by the school board.
- BadgerLink - Approve $2.5 million to continue BadgerLink,
an Internet-based research service that is popular in school libraries.
Federal funding for BadgerLink ends in December, and the service would
be discontinued without this state funding.
Other Action by JFC on DPI Issues:
- Provide funding for 2/3 school operation costs; act on other school
aid funding issues; modify how Milwaukee voucher and charter schools
are funded; delete $1 million in funding for staff development and
training; delete $1.5 million in funding for peer review and mentoring
grants; approve funding for an enhanced national teacher certification
incentive program; create school accountability reports to be posted
on the DPI Web site; approve funding for development of knowledge
and concepts examinations and the WI reading comprehension test; maintain
funding for various positions at the WI School for the Visually Handicapped;
and set aside $250,000 annually from existing DPI appropriations for
bilingual-bicultural education aids.
Tuesday, May 18:
- Smoking Education and Prevention --The Legislature's Joint
Finance Committee voted to spend $30.9 million of the state's tobacco
settlement money on programs to discourage or stop people from smoking.
WEAC is a participant in the coalition that supports using tobacco
settlement dollars for education and prevention programs.
Thursday, May 6:
- Children's License Plate Revenue -- Beginning January 1,
1999, the Department of Transportation began issuing a special license
plate with the words "Children First" on it for persons
interested in expressing support for the prevention of child abuse
and neglect. Funds from the sales of these special plates is deposited
to the children's trust fund . The JFC voted to protect the funds
from being used for purposes other than the prevention of child abuse
and neglect. WEAC supported this action.
Tuesday, April 27:
TEACH Board -- Education Telecommunications and Technology Programs
- Approved additional funding for training and technical assistance
grants.
- Provided new funds for the TEACH Board to distribute foreign language
instruction grants.
- Made various changes in funding for educational telecommunications
access grants, administration and application procedures for federal
E-rate discounts and technology block grants.
- Provided $5 million from the TEACH appropriation to the school library
aids appropriation.
- Allow the TEACH Board to administer rules and require it to submit
long-term access program planning with the next budget request for
the agency. WEAC supports placing this program in the DPI.
DHFS-- Department of Health and Family Services
- Approved funding for a new Women's health initiative.
- Moved forward on the process of funding the collection of health
care data.
Tuesday, April 20:
- Subcontracting Education Services as a Prohibited Subject of
Bargaining -The JFC voted to eliminate budget language creating
a prohibited subject of bargaining over a school board decision to
subcontract education services. WEAC strongly supported this action.
- WTCS General Aid Increase -The JFC voted to provide a 1%
aid increase in 1999 and a 1% aid increase in 2001 for the WTCS. This
will add approximately $3.3 million to the WTCS base budget appropriation
for the biennium. WEAC supports funding beyond a 1% increase in general
aids for the WTCS.
For More Information:
Contact Bob Burke in the WEAC Government Relations office with any
questions, reactions or comments. Bob Burke can be reached at (800)
362-8034 ext. 254 or by e-mail at burkeb@weac.org.
