2003-05 Budget Brief: JFC Budget Scheme Pits Needy Against Disabled
Joint Finance Committee budget is an assault on local control of
schools
Once again, education groups are voicing opposition to a K-12 education
plan approved by legislative leaders. The Joint Finance Committee (JFC)
K-12 education package was adopted on Wednesday, June 4. Although these
budget revisions are being offered to the full Legislature for review,
the vote for passage in committee was a party-line (12 Republicans to
4 Democrats) vote. The JFC plan significantly reduces the ability of
local districts to generate resources for operating schools. The package
does include an overall increase of $135 in state aid to schools, but
significantly reduces the per-pupil allowable increase under the revenue
caps at the same time. The end result is a dramatic assault on local
control that will jeopardize our great schools.
Revenue cap rollback would devastate schools
The Republican-led Finance Committee cut how much revenue local school
officials can generate to educate our children by at least $300 million
over the next two years. This loss of revenue is based on reducing the
revenue limits per-pupil adjustment to $120 in 2003-04 and $100 in 2004-05
and thereafter. This is a reduction from the current law estimates of
$236 in 2003-04 and $241 in 2004-05 offered in Governor Doyle's budget.
A complete district-by-district summary of the revenue cap rollback
will be posted Thursday, June 5, on the Department of Revenue Web site
at http://www.dor.state.wi.us/report/p.html#prop.
JFC budget pits the needy against the disabled
Unfortunately, the revenue loss for some districts could actually be
much worse. The JFC package also cuts the state investment in 4-year-old
kindergarten in half; diminishes the state commitment to keep the SAGE
class size reduction program in grades K-3; and reduces state funding
for other categorical aid programs. These are programs that place kids
in classrooms that work. Finally, the funds taken from SAGE and other
categorical programs are diverted to special education. This will pit
the desire of schools to help the youngest, most needy children against
providing mandated state and federal programs for disabled children.
See the full OnWEAC
story along with Governor Doyle's statement.
Republicans assault public employee health care
Republicans have renewed their attack on the right of public employees
to bargain health care by allowing school districts, technical college
districts and other units of government to unilaterally change their
health insurance carrier. And worse yet, this change would be a prohibited
subject of bargaining. In short, health insurance decisions would be
left to the discretion of the employer. The employer would determine
the quality, the cost and the deductibles of insurance benefits. WEAC
strongly believes that recruiting and maintaining quality staff is important
to great schools. Negotiating decisions about health insurance is an
important part of that process.
K4 cut in half
The JFC budget cuts $23 million in state aid to Four-year-old kindergarten
annually. This is done by adjusting how children are counted in the
program. Under current law, a K4 pupil counts as 0.5 or 0.6 of a pupil
for the purpose of generating state aid. The Republican plan changes
that to a 0.25 pupil count. It is estimated that this would reduce revenue
limit authority by $38 million annually to those districts operating
a K4 program. WEAC strongly believes that K4 programs should remain
fully funded. Wisconsin was the first state in the nation to offer K4.
It is a proven program that should be continued.
Voucher program gets major expansion
In what can only be described as a total partisan reversal of committee
procedures, the Republicans added a host of non-fiscal policy items
to the budget by expanding the Milwaukee Voucher program. Their budget
plan would: lift the cap on the number of kids; remove the income eligibility
criteria; allow pupils from anywhere to join voucher schools and expand
the program beyond the city to the County of Milwaukee. This move by
Republicans is especially insulting to public educators. The motion
by Democrats to repeal the QEO was never given a vote. It was unilaterally
ruled to be non-fiscal policy by the JFC co-chairs and stripped from
the budget on two separate occasions.
DPI and state employees take hits
The Republican scheme imposes further cuts on the Department of Public
Instruction. The plan would increase the governor's base budget reductions
from 10% to 15% for DPI state operations, except for residential schools.
Also, state employee compensation reserves are cut by $20 million; part-time
state employees are required to pay more for health insurance and other
state employee benefits are rolled back.
$14.8 million WTCS funding restored
The JFC budget restores $14.8 million in current Wisconsin Technical
College funding aimed primarily at expanding capacity in nursing and
other critically needed healthcare training programs. However, the JFC
put the WTCS under the levy freeze in the same motion. The categorical
aid had previously been cut from the WTCS budget by the JFC.
WTCS placed under new levy freeze
The inclusion of a WTCS levy freeze in the JFC package is extremely
harmful to economic recovery and to the ability of the WTCS to provide
high-skill, high-wage training and education programs. WEAC and the
WTCS Boards Association agree that a levy freeze is an inappropriate
intrusion on local governments that are working hard to meet the state's
economic challenges. The freeze would allow total levies (operations
and debt) to go up by no more than 2.6% per year through July 1, 2006.
This creates no savings toward the state budget deficit but hamstrings
economic recovery that grows the state out of the deficit.
Teacher license fees raised to pay for mentoring
Fees would be raised from $100 to $150 for initial instate and renewal
teacher and administrator licenses under the JFC plan. The $1.5 million
raised by the fee hike would be used to fund mentoring grants required
under the new PI 34, Wisconsin Administrative Code. Thus, new teachers
would be required to essentially pay for their own mentoring programs
during their first three years on the job.
QEO repeal still part of negotiations
The Republican co-chairs of the JFC refused to give repeal of the QEO
a vote in committee calling it non-fiscal policy. However, on the last
day of JFC debate, they included several non-fiscal policy items in
their final package. WEAC continues lobbying efforts to repeal the QEO
as budget negotiations move to the Senate and Assembly. WEAC strongly
believes that the QEO should be repealed as part of the state budget
and that it is time to end a decade of this unfair treatment.
Make up of school finance commission dictated to governor
In another move to place policy in the budget, the JFC plan dictates
to the governor how to establish a school finance commission. The motion
creates a 12-member K-12 School Finance Commission charged with examination
of the K-12 funding system and the following issues: (a) revenue caps;
(b) the equalization aid formula; (c) the QEO; (d) school finance equity;
(e) school district health insurance costs; and (f) any other issues
the governor, or other members of the commission request.
Act now by contacting your legislators
Lobby your state representative and state senator by visiting the Cyberlobby
at the Members Only site of OnWEAC
. Working together, if we act immediately to contact our legislators,
we can convince them to pass a budget that maintains a commitment to
provide every kid with a great school.
Remaining budget schedule
The earliest the budget bill will get to the Senate floor is the week
of June 16. A briefing for Senators is currently being planned for Thursday,
June 12. The Assembly will also hold a briefing on the Finance version
of the budget Thursday, June 12. The floor schedule depends on when
the budget changes are drafted and members can caucus and prepare amendments
to the measure. There are no floor sessions scheduled for next week.
For more information
If you have comments or questions about this 2003-05 Budget Brief,
please contact Bob Burke, WEAC Legislative Coordinator, at burkeb@weac.org
or by phone at 800-362-98034 ext 254.
Posted June 5, 2003