Written
responses of superintendents to open-ended questions
Q47. Do you have any additional comments about revenue caps or the
funding of public education in Wisconsin?
- Property wealth is not an indication of ability to pay!
- The formula gives way too much money per student to schools that grow
in population and takes away too much from those that lose students.
- Until [there is a] better system, leave as is if QEO and revenue caps
are tied together.
- "Sage" and "class size reduction" grant monies
have minimized the effects of declining enrollments. Without them we
would be in trouble!
- While the effects have been slower in getting to us, we really do
need to improve our teacher salaries to meet our future needs for staffing
the classroom. From this point forward, the decisions will get much
tougher. Since the state is taking charge of so much of the educationally-related
items such as school start date, etc., perhaps they should also take
charge of the salary issue. All teachers need to see at least a 3% increase
per year. Unfortunately now some see nearly 10% and some less than 1%.
- Our school district has experienced growth, so the effects of the
revenue caps have been softened by the increase in revenues associated
with growth.
- We do need a new funding program - get it off the property tax. Need
to keep equalization aid formula - not to foundation or whatever.
- We need to emphasize education in our budget. We assume that [by]
doing things the way they used to do it that everything will be okay.
- Revenue caps, QEO and 2/3s state funding don't work well together.
- We need to take a serious look at the state . . . and make needed
changes. Today districts are penalized for being frugal and responsible
in the past.
- Make insurance exempt from cap or a separate cap.
- Health insurance cost increases are also very detrimental to the overall
school budget process. We either need control over the rate of increase
or exemption from Rev. Cap?? I know of no job that is more important
than that of our teachers. We must pay them accordingly yet, preserve
all school budgeted programs in the process.
- Existing revenue cap laws will not allow for successful schools.
- The difference in the amount spent per child from district to district
is grossly unfair.
- If QEO is 3.8%, then we need at least 3.8% revenue to produce a balanced
budget!
- Revenue caps are a good fiscal tool but the lack of a means to exceed
the caps makes it difficult to operate a school district.
- Where to start? The funding of public education with property taxes
places the public school in an adversary position with the people it
serves. How positive can that be?
- My comment would be much different if we would not have added revenue
with the success of our 2001 referendum.
- Revenue caps have caused major cuts in staff, materials, student and
staff travel in the 2001-2002 FY.
- Why are we the only program with revenue caps with other costs, including
health insurance, going up by 20%
- The three-legged stool: 2/3 funding, Revenue Caps, and QEO - -All
of this was done out of politics rather than carefully crafted public
policy. Need to develop the big picture plan for school finance.
- The state funding formula needs to provide for greater equity for
students regardless of the district's location or size.
- There is good and bad in almost everything.
- QEO is bad for educational quality.
- I believe they have accomplished their original goal, but we need
greater flexibility or we will simply not be able to maintain a viable
district.
- Staffing schools with quality teachers and administrators is going
to suffer in the near future.
- We need to pay teachers a professional salary.
- Do we repeal the revenue cap? Do we want to return to the days of
property taxpayer unrest? These two things are linked.
- Schools are being forced to utilize existing fund balance to meet
recurring expenses. This downward spiral cannot continue for long.
- Extremely high increases in health insurance are creating a poor salary
situation for teachers.
- What will the State of Wisconsin, Governor McCallum and our legislators
to if state revenue in the form of sales and income tax drops drastically
due to a recession?
- Revenue caps are a state issue that is being fought locally.
- The state will find a flood when "caps" are lifted and taxes
will soar.
- We have been fortunate to have slowly increasing enrollment in the
past. That is not the projection. Other districts have been devastated.
- We need to link QEO and caps if they still exist. The battle will
be local control vs. state mandates.
- There will come a day when we will cut programs; we are going backwards.
- Soon I will be having mass layoffs, and cutbacks in programs, equipment
and materials: 2001-2002 - 4 aides; 2002-2003 - 2-5 teachers.
- Any lifting of the caps must be carefully considered so that the subsequent
situation is not worse.
- I believe counties have taken up slack as schools held down spending.
That's why so many have new jails. Taxpayers really didn't realize the
benefits.
- As planned - schools simply have less revenue to meet greatly enhanced
needs.
- Without some changes, we will be forced to make further cuts in the
next year that will affect greatly our program offerings…
- "You get what you pay for." If we want to be a strong education
state, then we need to pay for it. Industry expects this - so should
we!!
- The ability to collect revenue should be at the district level.
- Education issues need to be put back into DPI and away from the capitol.
- Revenue caps have been very effective in forcing the educational processes
into complacency! - SAD!!
- Change the law soon - more flexibility to exist as a district.
- The gap between what a district with stable enrollment must spend
and the revenue it is allowed to collect grows annually. We can only
postpone the inevitable result for so long.
- We have to make some accommodations for declining enrollment schools.
There are so many of us.
- Districts experiencing declining enrollment may have to close if changes
in the funding does not occur.
- We should give the power to set the local school tax levy back to
the annual meeting. Without that power, local control is a sham!
- Good way to mess up a good program.
- Flexibility to revenue caps would allow local school boards the ability
to provide quality programs deemed essential.
- It is increasingly more evident that all the corners have been cut
- now educational programs will decline.
- It will hit us hard in one year. We anticipate multiple layoffs and
much larger class sizes.
- Include per capita income in state aid formula!
- We will need relief soon or Wisconsin will no longer be the forerunner
in quality education.
- While some control may be necessary, we need to make sure there is
flexibility to maintain quality and equal education.
- I think it is necessary to keep them in place, but there is need for
some flexibility.
- We are at the crossroads - we want better results with no increases
in salaries. Something needs to change!
- Public does not understand funding of education and believes if we
have problems with the caps we are not able to manage $.
- QEO must = revenue caps
- Place caps on all governmental agencies or remove from schools; equity!
- We need to find a way to truly "equalize" funding for each
student regardless of the way he or she lives.
- Depressed teacher salaries - a long-term problem.
- It is time to use a state sales tax to assist with school funding.
- The caps and the QEO work hand-in-hand - you cannot change one without
the other!
- Our profession has been taking a beating. Teachers/administrators
are viewed as the bad guys when tax bills come out. We need a new way
to fund schools.
- If we keep the revenue caps, there needs to be more consideration
for declining enrollment schools or the gap will grow wider.
- Many districts are far worse off than we are.
- All resources possible [are] targeted to teacher/student activities.
If revenue caps continue and fund balance continues to decrease, we
will be forced to eliminate non-core curriculum.
- Pitting low valued districts against "rich" districts hurts
all districts. We are fairly uniform.
- If it is good for education - then it should be good for all. The
DNR can buy up land - they don't need a referendum - they just do it.
- We need some relief for such things as low incidence, high cost special
education students and the ability to maintain the technology infrastructure
to protect our initial investment.
- It is very difficult to fund state mandates with revenue limits. PI-34
will not be effective if more resources are not available.
- Negative tertiary aid must go.
- Districts with declining enrollments and increasing valuation must
be helped with additional funding!
- Isn't it interesting that our state government continues to "choke"
our children's education while spending money to build more prisons,
ball stadiums and at the same time demand more services from public
schools, while giving them less revenue!
- The legislature does not have a plan for its public schools - they
simply continue to react on political whim.
- HELP
- Repealing the rev. cap law or QEO limits must happen - budgets must
be allowed to increase at least by the minimum offer you have to extend
to teachers (i.e., 3.8%).
- In the long run, revenue caps will negatively affect each school district
in the state.
- It is not the caps which hurt,; it is the difference between the caps
and the required increases.
- We need a small increase each biennium.
- Help us fund items beyond our control - declining enrollment, utilities,
special education costs.
- Revenue caps eventually will affect all districts causing program
cuts and fund balance erosion and lead to a decline in the quality and
financial integrity of WI schools.
- [The revenue caps are] destroying quality education while inflating
politicians.
- Equity issue - our rural school is surrounded by bigger, richer schools
that have newer facilities.
- We can put men on the moon and talk to someone on the other side of
the world in seconds - we should be able to figure out how to finance
schools - in an equitable way.
- With rising health costs, energy costs, transportation costs, insurances,
and mandates for compliance - schools cannot continue to excel in Wisconsin
with revenue caps.
- We are facing a 3.5 million deficit in 02-03 and a 5.8 million deficit
in 03-04. We are supporting early retirement to help us out but we are
only creating a fixed cost for retirees.
- Compared to the Midwest, we have lots of programs offered.
- We need a change!
- Need relief!
- Has delayed or deterred where we as a district would like to go.
- It would seem that one solution that could really help would be a
process by which you could select a year(s) over a 10 year period or
an averaging of your most recent best 3 years in the past 10 for your
enrollment # for the formula.
- Health Insurance cost will destroy public education under revenue
caps.
- If the QEO changes, then revenue caps have to change accordingly.
- A crisis is looming for districts [that are]not able to attract needed
staff.
- I suggest true 2/3 funding from the state on programs needed. Need
is determined by local board with review by a state committee.
- There needs to be some flexibility to revenue caps, or the quality
of education in Wisconsin will continue to deteriorate.
- There is no perfect funding formula. Education is the best investment
any state or community can make in the future.
- Why couldn't there be a spending cap instead? I'd suggest that the
legislature put a revenue cap on all taxing bodies, municipalities and
the state.
- Return to local control and let school boards make decisions with
respect to spending.
- Certainly the limits have caught up with all districts. Staff morale
is low; opportunities are being limited; there becomes nothing left
to eliminate. Yet, we face the task of doing so.
- An income and sales tax combination would be better for schools.
- Unfair as districts that were frugal are now hurt.
- This survey does not delve into the real problem - QEO increases that
exceed revenue cap increases. They need to correlate.
- School Boards are elected by the community and need the authority
to run our schools.
- Not all the revenue cap . . . is negative. Property taxes were lowered
with the state taking on 2/3 funding.
- We need more flexibility. We need to remove transportation, electrical,
gas heating costs and building maintenance from the caps.
- More flexibility required at school board level for exceeding revenue
caps.
- Why doesn't WEAC sue the state? What other employee organization (city,
county, state, etc.) has 70% females? Discrimination against our female
teachers!
- The model is too static. Overhead costs such as energy really pushed
its "envelope."
- I would be in favor of the fixing the current system. Any new system
may leave things in worse shape than they are now!
- The foundation plan is not the answer; realize there are no quick
fixes.
- The QEO and revenue caps are inseparably linked. 80% of our budget
is in salary and fringe benefits. If this escalates faster than the
caps, it drives the system out of balance. It is difficult to calculate
the effects when such a large proportion is dependent on the QEO and
any changes enacted there.
- We have not seen a negative impact to date but feel that it is coming
in the next year or two.
- It has created an environment where administrators need to move for
financial advancement. Support staffs become very anxious about potential
layoffs.
- We have been fortunate to rank high in educational quality but to
continue that trend will require revenue control flexibility.
- We need an adequate level of state support and board flexibility in
spending.
- Revenue caps cannot exist in concert with a QEO law that allows/requires
increases greater than revenue growth.
- Our biggest problem will occur in 2002-2003. We now have about $65,000
- $75,000 which will be eliminated due to declining enrollment.
- Our teachers are being treated like 2nd class citizens. Their retirement
benefits are wonderful but to continue paying the insurance rates will
break the district and take away from students' education.
- Teachers' salaries need to have some type of control.
- They are not good for public education.
- Give the boards of education the authority to exceed caps by 2/3 vote
of board.
- We started to get ready for the "crunch" in 1993, so we
have been OK - this won't last. We are going to have to change.
- Districts will not be able to continue to offer the scope of programs
parents have become accustomed to.
- Our declining enrollment and skyrocketing property values are drying
up our state aids. The lack of state money will probably have a bigger
impact through the revenue caps.
- We have 1 (one) child who costs $48,000.00/yr. The funding for this
one child has caused cuts in regular education programs.
- We need some "flex" room.
- We have a very equitable funding formula as compared to other states.
However, poorer districts need greater help but it shouldn't be at the
expense of property wealthy districts.
- The state needs to fund mandates or don't require them. Expectations
are increased - dollars aren't - Schools can't do everything. Under
the revenue caps, we are unable to provide the teachers even a cost
of living salary increase. In actual dollars we are asking our teachers
to work even harder for less pay.
- Problem - the public does not believe more $ translates to higher
quality.
- WEAC should stop treating administrators and boards like the enemy.
The enemy is in Madison.
- Remove Fund 27 from controls.
- When caps were initially implemented, disparities in districts were
solidified.
