Five School Districts Appeal for Revenue Cap Relief
Top administrators from five school districts speak at a news
conference in the Madison school district offices. They are (left to
right) Janesville Superintendent Tom Evert, Madison Superintendent Art
Rainwater, Beloit Superintendent Bette Lang, Sun Prairie Assistant Superintendent
Phil Frei and Middleton Superintendent Steve Koch.
Top administrators from five school districts in south-central Wisconsin
displayed a "united front" Tuesday (June 8, 1999) in appealing
for changes in revenue controls, which they say are posing a serious threat
to the quality of education.
"We understand the need for revenue caps, but we need to allow flexibility
within the caps," said Janesville Superintendent Tom Evert. Other
districts represented were Madison, Middleton-Cross Plains, Sun Prairie
and Beloit, all members of the Big Eight athletic conference with a combined
student enrollment of more than 50,000.
Each school district official said revenue controls, now in their sixth
year, are forcing them to make budget cuts that are directly affecting
their ability to provide quality education. They used the term "Gap
in the Cap" to identify the shortfall between the amount of money
the state allows them to raise and the amount they need to maintain programs
and provide required services.
Revenue controls limit the amount of money school districts can raise
and spend. They were imposed by the Legislature and governor in 1993 as
part of a program to raise the level of state funding to two-thirds of
school costs.
"I think what we're
looking at is an erosion of quality for state schools." Madison Superintendent
Art Rainwater |
But Middleton-Cross Plains Superintendent Steve Koch pointed out that
the two-thirds funding mechanism is more a property tax relief program
than it is a school funding program. The state money is funneled through
the schools to the taxpayers. Since schools get little benefit from increased
state funding yet are subjected to taxing and spending limits, their budgets
are getting thinner, the superintendents said.
Each school official had stories about how this scenario has forced districts
tocut budgets in ways that hurt children. They said they have been forced
to cut summer school programs, athletics and other extra-curricular activities,
important building maintenance, equipment and supplies.
Evert said Janesville has cut back on teacher training programs and its
student testing program, and has not replaced a curriculum coordinator,
among other cuts.
"While I would describe these cuts as somewhat painful," he
said, "next year's cuts will be very painful."
Madison Superintendent Art Rainwater said his district faces a budget
deficit of up to $13 million over the next five years.
"I think what we're looking at is an erosion of quality for state
schools," he said.
Sun Prairie Assistant Superintendent Phil Frei said if revenue controls
continue, "education as it now stands will be a memory." Larger
class sizes and lower scores will result. He said his district already
has cut back on maintenance, technology and staff development, while increasing
middle school class sizes and raising athletic fees.
Beloit Superintendent Bette Lang said her district was forced to make
$5 million in cuts over the last five years and will have to cut another
$5 million over the next five years. She said her district is hit especially
hard because of declining enrollments that further reduce the amount of
revenue it is allowed to raise. Yet, the enrollment declines are not large
enough to warrant closing a school, she said, so costs continue to escalate.
In addition to problems posed by revenue caps, superintendents repeatedly
cited the lack of adequate state funding for special education. Although
state law requires the state to fund 63% of special education costs, it
is now only providing about 31%, and the percentage is falling every year.
Because special education services are required by federal and state law,
districts are forced to take money out of regular education programs to
fund special education, they said.
"Regular education is not getting the type of service we would like
them to have because of our special education needs," said Beloit's
Lang.
Rainwater denied that districts are over-identifying children as special
education students, saying that would foolish since there is a strong
financial disincentive to do so.
"All we know is we have more children today who qualify as special
education students and deserve services, and the state is not working
with us as a partner to make that happen -- and other children are being
shortchanged as a result," Rainwater said.
Posted June 8, 1999