Midnight_Ride - You are wrong. Yes, Walker's tools of distruction would help the budget situation but it wouldn't completely help. Most school districts used these tools of distruction and are still short - Milton example. The problem is still what MooShoo mentioned about the 2/3's funding.
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That aside and knowing that even if Walker is recalled (which I hope he is)... This problem still needs to be solved. How?
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Income into the district won't increase. Even if you ask the people of Janesville to pay more (limited by Walker's tax increases) there still wouldn't be enough revenue. Also, it appears that the quite a few people in Janesville don't care about education. So, tax increase won't happen. (Do remember as the education tanks so will the desire for others to move to the area and buy homes)
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Next choice is reduce expense. Yes, the teachers should take the tools of distruction. Even though I hate them. I think it will be bad for the local economy. Also, look at the adminstration expenses.
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Then look at school closings.
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Look at reducing cirriculum offering. This is a difficult thing to do but it is probably needed.
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Yes, you can look at extra-cirricular activities but some of these are as important to a childs developement as the classes are. (Of course in a different way)
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Budget = Zero when Expenses = Revenue. There is no other way about it. Very simple to say but difficult to implement because of the consequences.
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Again, I leave with this... Recall Walker. It won't help immediately but it will stop the continued distruction of Wisconsin!

There would not even be a conversation if Janesville used the benefits of ACT 10. You can lead a horse to water, but you can not make him drink. If he chooses to walk away, he will die of thirst.

I wish the schools would bring back Drivers Ed.
They could jack the price up and I'm willing to bet that parents would pay it vs. taking their kid to a Drivers Ed. school.

Tough problem. Cutting teachers to the point where class sizes are too high does not make sense. If they do have smaller enrollments, this does make some sense. Perhaps families will have to chip in more for after school programs, music programs, sports, etc.

In the end, we have to get reasonable people in state office who support education.

I see what you mean julew, it was just a matter of you using a bad example. It's not true, but thanks for clarifying your position. So far as school districts finding a more dependable source of revenue, good luck with that. They already try to survive from the handouts of the property taxpayers, and I doubt that anyone else would be so generous.

It you quoted it correctly it may have made more sense to you. I was commenting on the comment that "people have to live with in there means so Government should as well" and how that is not entirely true. Example purchasing a home, if you can hot afford to purchase the home outright, with out a mortgage you are living outside your means technically. People may say no i am living with in my means because i can afford the payments. BUT if a big recession were to start and they lose there job or parts of there income they are no longer living with in there means. Same with school districts they borrowed and spent money when the economy and home values were good, 2008 recession hit home values went down. In some cases even if the districts taxed to the max they were getting less revenue. Maybe the answer to the question should be that school districts should use a more stable form of revenue.

juliew lost me with that "...able to purchase a house because they would be unable to pay for it outright" thing. It appears to have come from a momentary short circuit in the critical thinking part of the brain. I agree with theBlogsta that school districts have always gotten all they have been approved for, regardless of property values.

I am not a Government workers and i love when people say your wrong but don't or can't back it up.

I see we lost juliew somewhere along the line - I call it Walker's Syndrome - public workers run out of room to whine, so they start talking nonsense or fall-back on standard 'union' platforms. Raise that blue fist babe.

I wonder how much effort is put into promoting advertizing revenue in the district. A district this large could make a lot of do re mi if they sold space. bathroom walls, hallways. lockers. fences, etc etc etc. some may find it inappropriate, but kids spend a ton of money these days and businesses are scratching and clawing to get their buck.

Recall the evil tyrant Walker so a new liberal Governor can rehire all the teachers, with full 100% government paid benefits. Now that will solve the problem!

DaBlogsta not always, in Wisconsin there is a limit as to how much a school can raise mill rates where as there is no limit as to how much property values are allowed to fall. So if you have a bad recession like say the that started in 2008. So it is possible for property values to fall at a rate that even if you were to tax at the max your still collecting less money. I sure hope school are doing a better job of teaching critical thinking today then when you were in school.

I guess the bottom line here - in answering the question raised by this article - is that the 'school' portion of property taxes has to go up AND a few pink slips have to be issued for the teachers. You know, this owning property stuff isn't all it's cracked-up to be. The home values crash when the real estate bubble popped, and the property taxes keep rising. But we will all get through it eventually.

ProudBadger yes I get it - it takes me a while sometimes.

juliew thanks for joining the conversation, your opinions are quite refreshing. A school's expected expenses will cause the mill rate to change. So regardless of property values, the schools will get the amount they are approved for.

Let's cut all the tax breaks to the rich and use that money to help education. And, then, we could get the heck out of Afghanistan and use that money for education and infrastructure.

DaBlogsta - I agree that you should live within your means. Milton Schools did live within their means until Walker's cuts. It is the cuts that he made that hurt the school district. My taxes didn't go down. They went up. What did I get for that. Nothing, just less funds for our schools!
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Milton is the example of doing things right and Walker's cuts have hurt the school district.
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Do you understand now DaBlogsta?

DaBlogsta your comments about staying with in your budget maybe be true for you but not for everyone, most people have home mortgages, car loans, and credit cards. By your logic very few people would be able to purchase a house because they would be unable to pay for it outright. Another thing to consider is that school districts get most revenue from property values. Property values seem to fluctuate widely every 10-15 years( you can google home values and verify this yourself) This in return means school revenue will fluctuate.

I can't spend more than I have to spend. I must find ways to make ends meet. It's odd that school districts don't have to do that too.

Not true ProudBadger. If the Milton school district isn't staying within it's budget, then it isn't running it's school system competently. Just like anyone's budget, if you don't make adjustments and you continue to spend more than you have, then you are failing to act responsibly. It's quite simple.

DaBlogsta - I don't think you understand. Milton hasn't been like Janesville. They don't have fancy buildings. Their circulum is basic. There aren't a lot of "extras" that are offered there. They do a great job at giving a superior education. I am happy with my kids education that they are getting.
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Again you are wrong. Milton hasn't been extravagant. They used Walker's "Tools" (of distruction) and they are still short money. They were short last year and this year is worse! 1.3 million! They just gave the teachers pink slips!
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If you don't believe me, just read the paper!
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Walker must go!

Proud_Badger the Walker reforms will work, it's the incompetent school district spending policies that can't be easily fixed by Walker or anyone. The taxpayer is giving 'handouts' to the schools who can't figure out how to spend within a budget. Well, the time is finally coming for the wild spenders to face the music and get their act together - the taxpayer won't put put-up with a whole lot more of the schools wild spending sprees.

Just_tryin Walker's tools don't work. That is what I was trying to tell you. I live in Janesville and I am in the Milton School District. Those teachers are paying more for health care and their pension. Yet, Milton School District is short 1.3 million dollars!!!
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These reforms aren't working. They won't in Janesville either. Run the numbers!
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Recall Walker!

Not what I meant Miss-- the owner must pay them---but recoup through the rent you charge. sorry for any confusion.

The property taxpayer should not have to bail-out irresponsible entities. There should not be a budget 'gap' in the first place. The best way to fill any gaps is to budget responsibly in the first place. It's easy to over-spend when you are spending someone elses money. Let's get some accountability here.

marge123: The renters do not pay my property taxes. If I didn't pay the property taxes on my rental units, the renter would not be drug into court.

Renters don't pay property taxes. I can't believe some bloggers are saying that they do. Wake up marge123. By your logic, renters would also be paying for the landlords car or golf clubs or whatever the landlord chooses to buy with the proceeds from rent. One test for determining who pays property taxes is to determine 'who can write them off'.

It is true that Walker's decisions to this point are causing great pain for some districts in trying to balance their budgets. His plan is to limit future property tax increases. Having teachers pay for some of their retirement does not help today, because contracts were in place that did not change. When the contracts are re-negotiated and the teachers are forced to pay, then total costs to the budget are lowered and then the savings for the taxpayer will be seen. The plan will save homeowners and renters literally billions of dollars in Wisconsin. If you believe that is bad, recall him. If you think it is good, support him. Simple as that.

Of coarse renters pay property taxes--The owner(landlord) pays property taxes just like all owners--and that cost is included in the "rent".

Autoworker2 - I too am a property owner. However, renters are indirectly paying property tax too. The owner of the apartment or rented house pays the tax. The income they get from the renter pays for that tax.

Rprp......what do consider overpaid? In your mind how much should they get paid?

Why are property owners targeted for the tax increases to fund the education system? I would think that renter families have members who use those facilities as well, possibly at a large number. Isn't there a way to bring them into the fold so they may contribute to the support of the education systems, along with property owners? Just thinking out loud here.

What is a reasonable student teacher ratio?

Get rid of incompetent and overpaid teachers and bring the ratio of student to teacher to a reasonable number.

Aren't these people suppose to be intelligent, clever and creative? Individuals and businesses make cuts and reduction in costs everyday, this doesn't necessarily mean layoffs unless a position is not necessary, these people were put in their positions to make the tough decisions. I would suggest avoiding tax increases, this city has a very depleted tax base which will take time to recover, it will happen and at that point I am sure the schools will ramp it back up, until then it is time to take it down a notch as the rest of us have. If you noticed I avoided the absolutely obvious solution to this budget gap.

Lar80 - Gov. Doyle was not good for the state either. If you think I want Doyle back or anyone like him you are wrong. He really didn't do a lot of good for the state.

Also, I don't think by replacing Walker that Janesville will get a bunch of money and the school district will be better. He has done way too much damage to have that repaired in short time.

I do think that it was good that school districts could get other insurance than what the unions said. That is the one plus that I will give him.

I am not a big union fan. However, I am a believer in supporting education. Walker has made the largest cuts to education from K thru the universities and tech. schools. As a society we must support education.

What I think Walker has done is sold us the ALEC agenda. These new bills were not something the people of Wisconsin wanted or asked for. These are the same laws that other republican states are imposing. These laws were brought on by outside sources. I have always believed WE should do what is right for Wisconsin and not have other outside forces (Big Business, Unions, ALEC, etc) tell us what is right.

I don't necessarly think Falk or Barett are right for the state either. But Walker is much worse. I voted for Walker. I am ashamed to say that. He has lied to me and the people of the state. His tactics of dictatorship must end.

Magical thinking!
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Any reserves that the state had were spent while the unions refused to deal with Gov. Doyle...(their friend)
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There is not enough money now.. Walker did not do this.. But Walker is forcing us to face it.
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The "Recall Crowd" thinks that once we rid ourselves of this troublesome govenor that the money will flow into Janesville schools as if it came from trees.
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The governor (Walker) is not taking money out of taxpayer pockets and putting it into fat cat businesses... There are tax breaks true,,, BUT IF YOU EVER TRIED TO EMPLOY SOMEBODY YOURSELF, YOU WOULD KNOW THE WISCONSIN STATE TAX STRUCTURE WAS TOXIC TO GROWING BUSINESS AND KEEPING PEOPLE EMPLOYED.
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Rather than looking back to snivel about not "MAX TAXING" maybe we should be looking back at the unions and the requests GOV DOYLE (not Walker)made for compromise over the years that were ignored by the unions.... Until at last the mismanagement of funds stunk so bad the state turned to Walker... .
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Looking back and *wishing* we had been taxed more is just stupid and out of touch with even the most recent history of state economics and collective bargaining...

Freedomfighter - you are correct. Janesville schools should have been more pro-active when GM said they were leaving! It was wrong of them to not take action early on. I agree with you there. However, Walker isn't helping. In Milton, they stopped talks of building additions when GM said they were going to move out. Milton used Walkers "tools" (methods to take advantages of teachers). Now this next school year, Milton will still be short 1.3 million! They like many school districts in the state did what Walker wanted to do and they still can't make it. Walkers reforms aren't working! Yes Janesville is hurting because of some really bad decisions but the situation is worse because of Walker. My taxes went up $300 last year not down. What did I get for that? I got my money going to big business not education.

Again... Walker MUST go before more damage is done!

Proud_Badger, so we all should blame Walker for the needless construction (field houses, brick wall at Parker,etc)that the schools forced down our throats, when the city and the school district knew that GM made no promise to stay in Janesville for a longer time then they said?

This problem isn't just in Janesville. Milton is short money too! They have been fiscally responsible and are short 1.3 million. The problem is Walker and the cuts to education. The solution is easy, recall Walker!

juliew - you bring up several good points. I'm guessing that you are 'inside' the education system.

Down size the Superintendent.

Uh, rainy day fund ?

Plus, if a family can't afford the extra couple hundred bucks in taxes, how can they afford a couple extra thousand in tuition at a private school? Can someone tell us how much tuition is at private schools in town? Does anyone know how their enrollment is doing?
I haven't been in Janeville's private schools, but I'm guessing they have science and computer labs, maybe not to the scale of public schools.

Private schools charge a fee for each child to attend. It is a significant amount. On top of that, families are required to do playground duty, lunch duty and spend a significant amount to support fundraisers...all while tithing as well. Each person that sends their child to private school pays property taxes (if they own a home) to support the public school district they live in as well. I don't think you will see a huge amount of kids going the private school route to fill the gap.

Investa the problem with relying on private schools to fill the gap is that they get to pick and choose who they accept. Public schools cannot. Most private schools in the area if not all lack many of the essential tools that make learning more efficient like computer labs, science labs, and educators trained in dealing with students that suffer form learning, behavior, and emotional disabilities.

Even if you taxed beyond the max you'd still be in the same boat.

Janesville taxpayers can't afford to pay more, so the single largest solution would be to reduce the number of teachers. To be prudent, the number of teachers we get rid of should be very substantial. Hopefully private schools, which are fiscally responsible, will see increased enrollment and essentially 'fill the gap'.