Craney Asks Panel to End Revenue Caps

"Enough is enough” and it’s time to end revenue controls, WEAC President Terry Craney told the Senate Education Committee this spring.

Craney said state-imposed revenue controls have inflicted “serious harm upon children, schools and the quality of education in school districts throughout Wisconsin.”

He cited data from the most recent WEAC/Wisconsin Associa-tion of School District Administra-tors survey documenting the damage school districts are suffering.

WEAC Legislative Committee Chair Michael Walsh told the committee a bill calling for an exemption from revenue caps for school security measures is critically important for schools.

“Simply put, none of the very important school security measures can be made a reality without giving school districts the flexibility under revenue caps to provide them to children,” he said. “The state-imposed revenue caps are preventing districts from spending an adequate amount of money on school safety. A revenue cap exemption should apply to hiring school safety personnel, security technology and violence prevention/intervention programs.”

The committee heard testimony on bills to eliminate revenue caps; and to allow districts to exceed caps for school meal expenditures, increased expenses in employee health insurance costs, and school safety measures.