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Janesville worked hard on K-12 public education funding reform!

Janesville was on the forefront to solve the K-12 public education funding problem!

Let’s pick up the conversation with “Tomwolfe53” – the former President of the SD-Janesville Board of Education who has shared several comments in which he identifies himself and who worked conscientiously with commitment as a Board President and Board member with special interest in and concern for the issues of K-12 public education funding. THANK YOU, TOM! THANKS TOO to your colleagues who served on the SD-Janesville Board through those years, especially the years of the JOINT LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE which focused on the K-12 public education funding issue starting January 1998. Tom Wolfe was President of the SD-Janesville Board from Spr. 2002-2004 (2 years).

I am picking up Tom Wolfe’s comment re. WI State Budget cycle and schools noting that I am in full agreement that the schedule is TOTALLY DYSfunctional for schools! Read Tom’s identification of the factors, COMMENT - August 5 at 3:37 pm – “Mr. E, part of the problem that districts face, and one of my chief frustrations as a former school board member is the illogical process to the staffing and budgeting calendar school districts face. The primary cost (85-90%) is labor and most districts have to provide lay-off notices by May 1. The budget cycle starts on July 1. A district's revenue is primarily a function of student count which takes place on the third Friday of September. Given all of this add the fact of reduced state aid after all staff is in place and before you even know your primary revenue source. If you read Milton and Turner's dilemma it is the result of state aid reduction after all staffing plans have been in place. I suppose you could just cut all the non-represented staff but they do serve a purpose in all school districts. I know this doesn't address your issue of "freeze" but wanted to give this perspective as a former board member/president. It is a conundrum to say the least. Yours, Former President Wolfe”

And then Tom Wolfe added – COMMENT – August 11 at 1:46 pm – “Mr. E, I had responded to an earlier blog that I would like you to acknowledge. You and I in our respective capacities have talked about the funding formula for education by the State many, many times. When the current system was enacted in 1994/1995ish most districts had a large influx in state aid that resulted in a large decrease in the levy. Many times over the years because of relationship of increased values and state aids many, many districts spent more money and had additional reductions in their levy because of the formula. Well this year the formula is being broken apart, mostly because of the large reduction in overall state aid and the yet to be determined impact of the repeal of the QEO. As my earlier blog stated this is compounded by the fact that all of this happens in a backwards environment where districts are given their actual revenue numbers in October, after the third Friday in September count, lay-off notices have to be done, in most cases, by May 1, and budgets are all done prior to the fiscal year starting on July 1. It is a wonder anyone ever comes close given this scenario. I understand your frustration but this issue is a cumulative affect of 15 plus years of operating under this system. The State can no longer make due on the promise of the "three legged stool" which as you know is the Revenue Cap, QEO and two thirds funding. Now after all this I wish I had the answer but I do know what the causes are that have gotten us to this point. Unfortunately very few legislators understand this or are willing to acknowledge it and they are the only ones that can do anything to fix it. Thanks John for stimulating these discussions.

I can assure you that former Board President Tom Wolfe along with his colleagues who have served on the SD-Janesville Board of Education know WELL the realities of the problems Tom has identified and described. I want to be sure to NOTE at this point for SD-Janesville taxpayers and voters – Board of Education members in Janesville, WI are VOLUNTEERS! They do NOT get paid for the hours and hours of conscientious & committed work! How about sending a THANK YOU to one or more of those serving NOW? Use the Contact information for Board members, SD-Janesville.

The realities of the 3-legged stool funding plan which was put into place by the legislature (both parties – this was a bi-partisan policy! I find it OFFENSIVE that there seems to be an on-going attack on Governor Tommy Thompson for that policy. WHY? I hear that the QEO (3.8% guaranteed annual compensation increase) was somehow an “attack” on K-12 public educators. Is there not the flip-side, “It was a ‘gift’ of “guaranteed annual income” increase? There was NO CAP WHATSOEVER on compensation increases for the K-12 public educators with QEO. In fact, the SD-Janesville had settlements OVER & ABOVE QEO, e.g., 02-03 = 6.0%, 03-04 = 4.3%, 05-06 = 4.5%, 06-07 = 4.85%. Yes, this is COMPENSATION (salary plus benefits) increase, but it is a substantial increase. I think we all need to overcome WEAC propaganda and gain information with perspective!) Let it be noted that OVERALL – TOTAL compensation for WI teachers is above the NATIONAL AVERAGE even as their salaries have fallen below the national average. Is it SALARY or TOTAL COMPENSATION which is MOST SIGNIFICANT?!

The realities of the 3-legged stool which were NOT cited by WEAC and basically kept in the closet by everyone in WI state government was that the QEO (3.8% minimum annual compensation adjustment) EXCEEDED the increases in the WI State Revenue Cap put on local school districts. The reality was that at some point in the future, the COMPENSATION liabilities with ONLY QEO settlements would EXCEED the STATE REVENUE CAP! Janesville’s Joint Legislative Committee had the benefit of Comptroller Lori Clifton who calculated that projection with the result that sometime in 2006-07/2007-08 the lines would cross, “compensation uses the entire revenue cap.” There have been various adjustments in the revenues and liabilities so that revenues have been reduced while compensation costs have been increased more than projected. NOTE: This year the WI state legislature with Governor Doyle REDUCED the state revenue cap adjustment from a projected/expected $274.68 down to $200.

To my mind, the worst example of the political strategies which were used during the QEO period was in 1999 when WEAC “negotiated” with the WI State Senate Majority Leader Chuck Chvala (now a convicted felon for abuse of state elective office) to REMOVE from QEO the payments by local school districts for “education” for K-12 public educators and the costs for promotion” and “additional professional qualifications – master’s degree)”. That was MILLIONS OF DOLLARS of additional liabilities for local school districts for which WEAC and the WI State Legislature with the Governor did NOT provide one red cent of increased resources! This is the kind of commitment to QUALITY – ADEQUATE K-12 public education to which WEAC tells us it is committed.
"Impact of State Revenue Limit Law Varies by School District" publication of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance - April 28, 2009. Be sure to NOTE that the WI state budget passed & signed into law reduced to $200. the State Revenue Cap cited in this April 28, 2009 document. This directly impacts INCREASES of property tax levies for K-12 public school districts! Forewarned is forearmed!

As for the so-called “2/3” state aid “goal” – First and foremost, be sure to NOTE that “2/3” does NOT mean what your math teacher taught you! Under the dome in Madison, the legislature with the Governor is able to define “2/3” to be whatever they agree on! HELP! There are numerous tricks to “claim” the “2/3” even when some of the money does NOT get close to a public school! IF you want to learn this detailed information, ask your elected representative in the WI state legislature to brief/teach you. The “2/3” was “average” with some districts getting MORE and others getting LESS than “2/3”… SD-Janesville happened to fall at about “average,” so had about “2/3” state aid. This year the WI state legislature with Governor has CUT state aid to local school districts VERY SIGNIFICANTLY! And again, the idea of a “10%” reduction was “average” with some school districts actually getting MORE state aid and some school districts getting cuts OVER 10%! "Aid cut shocks school districts” by Amy Hetzner, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s crack education journalist (July 7, 2009). Read it for perspective.

In reality, SD-Janesville’s JOINT LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE which was organized in January 1998 moved with all deliberate speed to have recommendations articulated by Labor Day 1998 in order to influence the legislative campaigns of November 1998. Virginia Wyss, member of the Board, was elected to represent the Board and I was elected to represent JEA. We were chosen by the new committee to be the co-chairs of this new JOINT Committee. The JOINT COMMITTEE embraced school board, JEA (teacher), administration, community, PTA and student (high school) representatives.

When the Committee issued its recommendations at a press conference in September 1998, the basic points were: 1. State Revenue Cap – inadequate for liabilities of local school districts. 2. QEO – inadequate for appropriate negotiations. 3. “2/3” – not a reality. 4. “Tax to the max” – state law required each local school district to “tax to the max” or lose resources. While we did get that law tweaked, I have been SHOCKED & EMBARRASSED to learn that we did NOT really get it fully changed. NOW, my own SD-Milton, is telling me that it must increase the property tax levy 10% in order to maintain revenues. IF they do NOT “tax to the max,” the district will lose resources in the future. This is DYSfunctional. We need to further change this law. I shall NEVER forget David Cullen’s reaction when he learned about the “tax to the max” law as a member of the Joint Legislative Committee. He asserted it was “totally inappropriate”! He stated that he would never run his corporation with that kind of policy! So?? Let’s get this facet changed NOW!

Bottom-line: After the years of conscientious, committed work of the Joint Legislative Committee of the SD-Janesville, there was REALLY NO CHANGE! Yes, the Committee testified at numerous hearings at the Capitol and elsewhere. Yes, the Committee traveled throughout WI to share the information and perspective of its recommendations to advocate for support. Yes, the Committee presented at the Wisconsin State Education Convention in Milwaukee. Yes, the Committee met with Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the secretary of the WI Department of Administration, Mark Burgher, the Governor’s office, legislators, et al. Yes, the Committee participated actively in developing the Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools (WAES) with Virginia Wyss as the point person from the founding of WAES. (WAES spearheaded a move to gain a coalition of all stake-holders in K-12 public education which became the School Funding Network (SFN) which continues to work today.)

The Joint Legislative Committee discontinued as interest in and concern for the K-12 public education funding issues declined in SD-Janesville about 2006-07. Advocacy of K-12 public education funding reform by a registered lobbyist was discontinued at the end of June 2008 when the Legislative Liaison position was discontinued.

SD-Janesville made a significant commitment for reform of K-12 public education reform with the goal of ADEQUATE K-12 public education for ALL students in WISCONSIN! What looked to be a promising process with a coalition of all the K-12 public education stakeholders has NOW been undermined with the immediate repeal of QEO as of July 1, 2009 including the change in the arbitration rules favoring WEAC as proposed by the Governor in his proposed 2009-2011 budget early this year. WHY only local school districts, Mr. Doyle? WHY not all local and county governments, Mr. Doyle?

In reality, the QEO repeal was TOTALLY isolated from needed REFORM in K-12 public education funding in WI! Click on this link to read WEAC's summary of the 2009-2011 WI State Budget".

I am NOW the more CYNICAL! IF my 7 years, 7 months as the Legislative Liaison for the SD-Janesville – registered lobbyist (Registration record in archives.) taught me anything, it was FOLLOW THE $$$.

I am NOW more supportive of the REFORM of campaign finances because of the reality that $$$ is the bottom-line even in our WI state legislature as well as the Governor’s office. Forewarned is forearmed! Yes, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty”!

Here we go…

Mr. E.

POSTSCRIPT – Remember that the ANNUAL MEETING of the SD-Milton is on Monday, August 17 at 6:30 pm at Northside Intermediate School. ALERT to WE THE PEOPLE of MILTON school district – voters and taxpayers! The proposal is for a 10% increase in the property tax levy. Forewarned is forearmed!

POSTSCRIPT II – I think it reasonable to clarify for “kinsohn” and other readers – this is a “community blog” sponsored by Bliss Communications. The idea of Bliss Communications has been to encourage community dialog/discussion. My long-time friend, Jim Lyke and I, who are regularly blogging, do NOT get paid. I would, however, state that the discussion through your comments is very, very rewarding and fulfilling. DIALOG – DISCUSSION (with civility) is key to a healthy republic (representation democracy)! Go for it!

End

John Eyster lives in the Edgerton area. He is an adjunct professor of political science at UW-Waukesha and an advocate for democracy/civics education in Wisconsin high schools. John is a community blogger and is not a part of Janesville Gazette staff. His opinion is not necessarily that of the Janesville Gazette staff or management.