|
As a father of two young
boys, I believe education is a critical responsibility for Wisconsin.
Ensuring that our children receive a good education is the foundation for
our economy, our democracy and our future as a society.
Last summer, Wisconsin enacted the 2009-11 State Budget, which is a primary
source of funding for schools across the Badger State. Along with my
colleagues, I fought to protect public education while tackling a record
$6.6 billion deficit brought on by the national economic downturn and the
reckless speculation of Wall Street profiteers. Through my experience with
the state budget process I have come to a key conclusion: we need to reform
the state’s School Funding Formula.
The School Funding Formula that has been established accounts for
differences in school districts’ abilities to raise money from local
property taxes. The formula is primarily influenced by factors the
Legislature does not control, including student enrollment in a school
district and changing property values. Generally this means districts with
lower property values receive increased state aid, while districts with
higher property values receive less aid.
Similarly, districts with declining enrollment receive less aid, while
districts with increasing enrollment receive more. I believe that rural
schools, like many in our area, need to be treated fairly and with the same
consideration as school districts from larger urban areas. That is why I
fought to keep the “hold harmless” provision in the state budget, which
guarantees a set level of funding to districts that may be suffering from
declining enrollment. Without this provision, school districts in our area
could have taken a hit greater than anyone could imagine. I also worked to
maintain the statutory 15 percent limit in cuts that any individual district
could sustain.
This is only the beginning. I am currently working with Sen. Vinehout and
other legislators to make changes in school funding formula that address the
needs of school districts that do have declining enrollment, but perhaps
have increasing property values. We have come to find that this is a long
term project and that not every legislator supports the goals we have for
school funding. It is important to note that legislators who represent
suburban school districts have an interest in supporting a school funding
formula that benefits their school districts and not necessarily ours.
In many cases these are areas where enrollment is rapidly increasing and
property values remain relatively flat. Legislators representing those
communities are not as interested in working with Sen. Vinehout and myself
to ensure the State‘s school funding formula addresses the needs of our most
vulnerable Western Wisconsin School Districts. We must make sure that our
rural districts are not overshadowed by the larger urban areas; no matter
what their property values and district enrollment happen to be. I strongly
believe every Wisconsin child should be ensured a top notch education, and I
will fight vigorously to change the State’s School funding formula and make
that happen.
The fight to change our flawed school funding system is a long term,
non-partisan fight and I am committed to working with legislators in both
parties to ensure that our schools and our children are treated fairly here
in Western Wisconsin.
|
