State Budget is Positive for State Education
The $37 billion state budget package approved by the Legislature is
generally positive for public education, according to WEAC President
Terry Craney.
“WEAC applauds the bi-partisan nature of this budget action,”
Craney said.
The package includes relief from revenue controls, additonal funding
for class size reduction, and retention of the school calendar as a
mandatory subject of bargaining.
The measure was sent to the governor, who has extensive line-item veto
power. Members
are urged to contact the governor and urge him to support children and
public education.
The two-year package includes these provisions:
- SAGE funding: Provides $3.8 million for the Student Achievement
Guarantee in Education program to fund all 57 school districts eligible
for the class-size reduction initiative and commits the state to cover
25% of all low-income pupils by 2001-2002.
- Revenue controls: Provides $9.1 million for an annual inflation
adjustment to the current $206 perpupil limit on increased school
district revenue. This raises the limits to $211 in 1997-98 and $217
in 1998-99. Also allows school districts to count summer school pupils
as 20% of a full time equivalent (FTE) pupil for the purposes of calculating
the revenue limits.
- QEO: Modifies the QEO so that any fringe benefit savings
under the allowed 1.7% increase have to be applied to salary increases.
- School calendar: Maintains the school calendar as a mandatory
subject of bargaining.
- Charter schools: Deletes an earlier provisions that would
have allowed anyone denied a charter school to appeal directly to
the DPI. Also maintains the petition process for the creation of a
charter school.
- DPI: Restores $491,000 to the Department of Public Instruction's
general program operations appropriation which was deleted as part
of an earlier budget package.
- School referenda: Deletes an earlier provision which would
have required school district referenda to be scheduled in conjunction
with spring and fall elections.
- Reading methods: Deletes a requirement that school districts
report on reading methods used prior to the 3rd grade reading examinations.
- University of Wisconsin System: Allows UW to spend up to
107% of the amount appropriated and provides $4 million in 1998-99
to partially offset the cost of a 4.5% increase in compensation for
faculty and academic staff.
Posted October 3, 1997