Victories for Wisconsin's great schools

From the governor's race to congressional battles, from school referendums to legislative contests, the November 7 elections proved victorious for great schools, children and the future of the state and nation.

WEAC President Stan Johnson said top on the list was the re-election of Governor Jim Doyle, who is one of the strongest supporters of public education this state has ever seen.

“Governor Doyle earned his re-election in no small part because he came through for Wisconsin’s great schools," Johnson said. "He restored the state’s commitment to public education despite being handed a crushing budget deficit. And, through other budget moves, vetoes, policy actions and public statements, the governor has proven himself to be public education’s best friend throughout his first four years as governor.

“We look forward to working with Governor Doyle for four more years on school finance reform and all of the other issues of importance to public schools, children and the state’s economic future, just as we look forward to working with the new Congress, the new attorney general, and all of the members of both houses of the state Legislature."

In his second term, Doyle will have the advantage of working with a Democratic State Senate. Democrats captured four previously Republican-held Senate seats. They won an open seat in Racine vacated by Senator Cathy Stepp and unseated Senators Tom Reynolds of West Allis, Ron Brown of Eau Claire, and Dave Zien of Eau Claire. Democrats will have an 18-15 majority in the Senate. Republicans retained control of the Assembly but lost several seats. Democrats picked up two open seats that had been held by Republicans and defeated six Republican incumbents to cut the GOP majority in the Assembly to 52-47 from the current 59-39 Republican majority.

Johnson credited the very hard work of thousands of WEAC members who volunteered their time to work for candidates who support quality public education.

“As WEAC’s president, I am proud of the countless teachers, food service workers, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, custodians, and technical college and state employees throughout the state who worked so hard to help secure victories for Doyle and Lawton, for pro-public education candidates in the Senate, the Assembly and Congress, and for most school referendum initiatives. It is heartening to see their sense of civic responsibility and extraordinary effort rewarded as it was on November 7, 2006.”

In other election results:

• Democrat Steve Kagen beat former State Assembly Speaker John Gard in the hotly contested northeast Wisconsin congressional seat vacated by Republican Mark Green.
• Incumbent Wisconsin congressional representatives won re-election. They are Democrats Tammy Baldwin, Ron Kind, Gwen Moore and David Obey and Republicans Paul Ryan, Jim Sensenbrenner and Tom Petri.
• Democratic U.S. Senator Herb Kohl easily won re-election.
• Republican J.B. Van Hollen edged out Democrat Kathleen Falk for state attorney general in an extremely close race.
• State voters approved a constitutional amendment against gay marriage and civil unions and approved an advisory referendum to institute a death penalty in Wisconsin.
• Democrats took over the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.
• According to data collected by the state Department of Public Instruction, voters approved 29 local school referendums and rejected 12 others. Among the major referendums were:
  • Janesville voters approved the state's largest school referendum - $70.8 million to remodel the city's two high schools.
  • Oconomowoc voters approved a $49.6 million school construction referendum.
  • Maple School District voters in Douglas and Bayfield Counties approved a $33 million school construction, remodeling and maintenance referendum.
  • Oak Creek-Franklin voters approved a $28.5 million referendum to build a new middle school.
  • Stevens Point voters approved a $26.4 million referendum for operating expenses over three years.
  • Menomonee Falls voters approved two school remodeling referendums totaling $23.5 million.
  • Madison area school district voters approved a $23 million three-part referendum to build a new elementary school, finance a school addition, and refinance existing debt at a more favorable rate.
  • Howard-Suamico voters approved two referendums totaling $17.6 million: a new $12.7 million elementary school and $4.9 million for additions to two other schools.
  • Wisconsin Rapids voters approved four referendums totaling $14.7 million for a combination of refinancing debt, upgrading technology, maintenance and capital upgrades.
  • New Holstein voters approved a $12.4 million school construction and remodeling project.
  • Neenah voters approved a $6 million referendum to exceed revenue limits over three years.
  • Tomah voters approved three referendums: $4.54 million to expand elementary and high school facilities; $300,000 annually to exceed revenue limits for operating costs and staffing; and $1 million to add air conditioning at district elementary schools.
  • Gibraltar voters approved a $3.6 million referendum to exceed revenue limits for educational programming over two years.
  • Markesan voters approved a $3 million referendum to save their financially struggling school district. The vote allows the district to exceed revenue limits by up to $1 million in 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 to meet operating costs. School officials had said that without the approval, the district could face closure.
  • Other school districts in which referendums were approved include Delavan-Darien, Freedom (1 of 2), Mount Horeb, Pepin, Three Lakes, Turtle Lake, and Whitewater.
  • Referendums failed in Denmark (2), Freedom (1 of 2), Hilbert, Kewaunee, Lake Holcombe (2), Neosho, Oostburg, Reedsville and Watertown (2). The second Watertown referendum was the largest to fail. It requested $29.5 million for school construction and renovation.

In one of the big statewide election-related referendums outside of the Wisconsin, Colorado voters rejected two proposals modeled after the "65% Solution" advanced by right-wing organizations. That controversial approach would take control away from school boards by requiring that 65% of K-12 public education dollars be spent on "classroom expenditures."

In some of the other education-related statewide referendums, voters in Michigan rejected an education funding guarantee; voters in Nevada approved a measure requiring the Legislature to fund public education before any other part of the state budget for two years; Alabama voters approved a measure requiring all districts to have at least 10 mills of property tax allocated for public education; voters in Wyoming voted to create a permanent fund for higher education and equalize school funding in all districts; voters in Nebraska approved a measure to create an early childhood endowment fund; and South Dakota voters rejected a measure that would have prohibited schools boards from establishing the start of a regular school term prior to the last day of August. (For more on these ballots, see the summary by the Education Commission of the States.)

Overall, NEA President Reg Weaver said, the November 7 elections were “a victory for children and public education."

"I’m hopeful that this shift results in resources for children, respect for education employees and a renewed sense of responsibility by all,” Weaver said. “The victories mark a critical change in course. Now the task is to make sure lawmakers make good on campaign promises. There must be accountability.”

NEA’s 3.2 million members took an active role in many congressional campaigns by supporting Democratic and Republican candidates around the country who advocated positive public education agendas. The association supports candidates based on their commitment to quality public schools, not party affiliations.

“Voters made it clear on Tuesday that public education is a national priority that lawmakers have a duty to address,” Weaver said. “We must remain vigilant long after the elections if we are to protect the basic right of every child to a quality public education.”

Posted November 8, 2006; Updated November 10, 2006