$1.117 Billion Deficit a Threat to Education

Republican legislators are calling for severe cuts in education "as an easy way to solve the state budget shortfall," WEAC President Stan Johnson warned Thursday (January 17, 2002) after the state officially announced it expects a 2001-02 budget deficit of $1.117 billion.

The Legislature returns to Madison for a special session January 22 to deal with the budget crisis, which is caused by a shortfall of state tax revenue due the recession and the aftereffects of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Republicans in the Assembly and Senate have released plans to erase the deficit. Gov. Scott McCallum is expected to release his own proposal - separate from the legislative Republican plans - by the start of the special session.

The Assembly and Senate Republican proposals are causing great concern in the education community.

The two legislative Republican plans call for a freeze in state spending and a reduction in the state’s commitment to fund two-thirds of school operating costs.

The plans also prohibit school districts from raising their property tax levies to offset cuts.

“These cuts will harm the ability of local school districts to provide every kid with a great school," Johnson said. "WEAC will work to make sure these proposals do not become reality.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Chvala said Senate Democrats intend to protect funding for public education.

"We have to recognize that education is the basis we will move our economy from," Chvala said. "We can't take a short-term problem and turn it into a long-term problem by not adequately handling education."

Johnson said that if the plans became law and state aid were frozen, school districts would be forced to cut programs that place kids in classrooms that work.

“Any freeze or rollback of the state's two-thirds commitment to fund schools will jeopardize the ability of districts to maintain quality staff,” Johnson said. “These proposals to remove major revenue sources from schools have only served to disrupt teacher and support staff contract negotiations that are often contentious to begin with. We have a record number of unsettled teacher contracts this year, and these proposals add even more uncertainty to negotiations.”

The governor’s education proposal is still a question mark, according to Johnson.

“We hope Gov. McCallum’s budget proposal will make education a priority,” he said. “We will wait and see what the governor proposes for education.”

Johnson said the main area of concern remains the legislative Republican plans.

“Many of these ideas are simply unacceptable, especially since public schools have already been forced to make budget cuts for eight years under the state-imposed revenue caps and QEO law,” Johnson said. “As the Legislature goes into the budget adjustment session, it is time to speak openly about accomplishments in public education and get ready to meet the challenges that lie ahead. We must renew our strong commitment to maintain high quality public schools that benefit everyone in the community. Without our direct actions to defend public education at the state and local levels now, the future success of our great schools is at stake.”

Johnson pointed out that a new WEAC survey found strong public support for adequate funding of public education.

"The public does not want education funding cut," he said.

Posted January 17, 2002