The Gillett School District is asking residents to contact their legislators to voice opposition to Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed biennial budget.
In a letter to families with children in the school district, District Administrator Todd Carlson wrote, “We cannot afford to go backwards to a system of those who have and those who have not.”
He encouraged parents to “better understand the proposed state budget and the impact this could have on the education you want for our children and our community.”
According to Laurel Patrick, press secretary for Walker’s office, the budget protects the state’s commitment to K-12 schools by increasing equalization aids by $108 million and increases categorical aid programs. The proposal includes $211 million in the school levy credit for property tax relief.
At Thursday’s School Board meeting, Carlson outlined four funding areas he said will adversely affect students in Gillett.
The proposed elimination of the per student categorical aid of $150 per student district will result in $100,000 less state aid for the 2015-16 school year. Add that to the zero increase in the revenue limit, and the district will need to turn to taxpayers to pick up more of the cost of education, Carlson said.
One of the growing expenses in the district is health insurance costs, which are expected to increase 10 percent for next year.
Another funding concern expressed by Carlson is the proposed increase in state aid to voucher schools, which will cause a decrease in state aid for public schools.
“Can we support two school systems in the state?” he asked, then responded, “No.”
Carlson said the proposed state budget also eliminates the local government property insurance fund. According to the website for the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, the purpose of the fund is to make property insurance available for local government units.
In an e-mail following the School Board meeting, Carlson said the district pays about $17,000 per year for property insurance coverage through a private carrier.
The insurance fund keeps the rates of private insurance carriers competitive, according to Carlson. By eliminating the local government insurance fund, rates will be more similar to commercial rates and will increase, doubling if not tripling according to the carrier, because of the lack of competition from the fund, he added.
Carlson said the district could see property insurance costs increase from $20,000 to $40,000 for its next school year.
Hearings on the state budget will be held around the state in March, and Carlson urged members of the School Board to join him at one of the meetings to express their concerns to legislators.
“I think it would be good to have a board representative and a member of the administration speak at a hearing,” he said.
“It’s at a point we need to contact the Legislature and let them know how this is impacting students. Lack of funding will have a negative impact on us,” he said.
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