Local school district superintendents are worried about rumblings in the Wisconsin Legislature about tighter restrictions on any referenda the districts might ask for in the future, especially when it comes to keeping the doors open.
State voters have been asked 210 times in the last 15 months to approve operating referenda, which permit districts to exceed their revenue limit caps to fund day-to-day operations. Last fall, Bonduel School District was one of 131 school districts to get a yes from the voters, allowing the district to get an additional $750,000 annually for the next six years — $450,000 for its longstanding technology imitative, while the rest would allow Bonduel to offer competitive pay and improved individual health benefits.
However, legislators are discussing ways to crack down on these requests for more money, including making the requests for four years maximum and requiring school districts to provide a good faith estimate of the annual dollar amount difference in property taxes if a referendum is passed.
That’s a concern to officials at two Oconto County schools, especially with the unfunded mandates from the state. Special education is a requirement that public schools must provide, but many times districts have to call for an operational referendum to cover any shortfalls, said Dean Hess, superintendent for the Oconto Falls School District.
“In our reality, we transfer significant dollars each year from our general fund to cover the cost of special education that is not covered by state aid,” Hess said. “If operational referendums are not an option in the future, taxpayers need to recognize that educational programming will be cut drastically in order to balance the district’s budget. Class sizes will also increase as a result. Students will not receive the level of support that they’ve grown accustomed to in the past due to fewer staff members to assist them.”
School districts received about 29% of the funding needed for special education services, according to Nathan Hanson, superintendent for the Gillett School District. He said that local communities should have the autonomy to determine how their schools are funded when the state unwilling to provide adequate funding.
“In the absence of adequate funding, communities are left with the difficult choice of either supporting their local schools through an operational referendum or facing school closures and sending their tax dollars to districts with which they may have no connection,” Hanson said. The closure of local schools not only disrupts education but also undermines local economies by redirecting spending to neighboring areas. As a former social studies teacher, I find it deeply concerning when government policy restricts the decision-making power of local communities.”
Garrett Rogowski, superintendent for the Wittenberg-Birnamwood School District, agreed that school funding methods should rest at the local level.
“Allowing communities the ability to make informed decisions through the election process with respect to funding their schools is necessary in order to provide the quality of service needed for our children and families,” Rogowski said.
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com
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