Frederica Freyberg:
Now to the budget’s government proposal and two-year plan for public schools.
Scott Walker:
Our budget will increase state support for schools by providing more than $100 million annually for the school levy tax credit and more than $100 million in the second year of the budget for equalization aids while–
Scott Walker:
All while maintaining revenue limits to ensure continuing property tax relief.
Frederica Freyberg:
Some of Governor walker’s budget plans for K-12 schools. The Superintendent of Public Instruction comes out strongly against most of them, saying this is wrong, this is not reform. Tony Evers joins us now. Thanks very much for doing so.
Tony Evers:
Thanks for having me.
Frederica Freyberg:
So let’s take a look one by one at what the Governor said. More than $100 million annually for the school levy tax credit. What does that do for schools?
Tony Evers:
Nothing. The three points that he made there, tax levy credit, in the second year it would be equalized aid. But he’s holding the revenue limits that school districts essentially are allowed to spend to be zero increase. So all the money that the Governor is talking about will go into property tax relief and won’t go to the schools.
Frederica Freyberg:
And that’s what the school levy tax credit is, property tax. It sounds like it goes to the school.
Tony Evers:
Yes.
Frederica Freyberg:
We’ve had this discussion before. But it actually doesn’t.
Tony Evers:
No.
Frederica Freyberg:
So then $100 million for equalization aid. Got applause at the budget address. What’s wrong with that?
Tony Evers:
Again, the revenue limit or the amount schools can actually increase their spending is zero percent increase. So whether it’s equalized aid, whether it’s school tax levy credit, if it’s zero increase in spending, you could put a trillion dollars into it and it wouldn’t go into the schools. It would go to the property taxpayers.
Frederica Freyberg:
So this is described as funding is flat for K-12.
Tony Evers:
Yes.
Frederica Freyberg:
But is it actually a reduction?
Tony Evers:
Yes. It’s a slight reduction over the biennium if you take a look at every little piece. Whether it’s zero or a small decrease, our schools have been operating on a shoestring for several biennium now. This is just a horrible place to start. I know that we’re going to be moving forward and the Legislature is going to be discussing and debating it and hopefully revenue projections increase. But to start out in this position and working up, that’s a difficult thing to do for us.
Frederica Freyberg:
What was your expectation?
Tony Evers:
I would have expected at least a minimal amount of revenue limit increase so that the schools could spend more. I was in two school districts that day, and it was like I was bipolar. The kids were doing great things. The superintendents, the teachers. And everybody well-funded school districts. But both superintendents said if it’s going to be zero and zero over two years, we’re in a world of hurt. Those are two really good school districts. Drive down to Madison and hear the Governor fulfill that nightmare.
Frederica Freyberg:
However, you do appreciate the kind of increased funding for rural schools and transportation. Does that go far enough?
Tony Evers:
Oh, absolutely not. Yes, the Governor took our proposal on sparsity and transportation. Those are huge, but in the grand scheme of thing we’re talking that anything that was gained there is going to be lost through the equalized aid formula.
Frederica Freyberg:
And meanwhile something, again, kind of not unexpected, but the cap coming off, unlimited school choice. What will that mean?
Tony Evers:
Well, it will mean vouchers will be going statewide and in the past, depending on whether Racine or Kenosha or Milwaukee or out-state, had different funding formulas, but the State picked it up. But here if three students leave Kaukauna School District to go into the voucher program, we would have to reduce aid to Kaukauna for those three kids. It would absolutely– They argue that some of these systems can coexist because they have different funding streams. That’s just out the window.
Frederica Freyberg:
From the numbers that we’ve seen, it does look like there is — people want to go into the choice program. They bump up against those former caps. Do you have any idea, you know, being the ones who take in the numbers of applicants and everything how many more might want to be in choice?
Tony Evers:
It’s hard to say. But the one thing we do know, that in the program in the past, whether it’s a statewide or Milwaukee, Racine, 70% or more of the students were already in private schools. So it wasn’t like this huge outflow of people from the public schools.
Frederica Freyberg:
That will change apparently now. It’s a switchers only kind of rule except at the start and in 9th grade. The other thing that stood out to me was the Governor says that he will not fund your Smarter Balance test aligned to the Common Core standards. Does that kind of unravel the money and the work that’s been done?
Tony Evers:
Well, yes and no. Clearly, the issue of the Smarter Balance, one of the issues is it’s a very expensive test. We’re in difficult times. I think regardless of what we do with the test, the most important thing is that as we move into the brave new world of having accountability systems for choice and charter is that we have one test. That has to be. Right now the proposal is have three or three to five. I just don’t think that enhances transparency enough with what the accountability system should be all about, is transparency.
Frederica Freyberg:
We need to leave it there. Tony Evers, thanks very much.
Tony Evers:
Thank you.
Frederica Freyberg:
We asked the President of School Choice Wisconsin, Jim Bender, for a statement about the expansion. He [Jim Bender] said We appreciate Governor Walker’s proposal that eliminates the cap on the statewide school choice program and empowers parents across the state. However, we need to look at the new funding mechanics to make sure those students are realized with solid funding for the program.
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