Wisconsin School Referendums - An Experience in Democracy
Lasee’s Notes
Thirty-five school districts in Wisconsin have referendums on the ballot this fall. Voters in these districts will decide whether or not to allow their local schools to borrow more money for future building projects or to allow them to exceed the state’s revenue controls.
Twelve school districts already voted on their referendums earlier this month in the primary elections. Six passed and six failed. That is democracy. Those that passed requested nearly $23 million in new funding or a little less than $4 million per community. Those that failed requested over $36 million or $6 million per community.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, the total amount of additional spending and borrowing being requested through the fall referendums is nearly $473 million ($472,671,877). That is an average of nearly $13 million per community. The largest single request is in Janesville where voters there will be asked for over $70 million in additional funds. Click here to access a full list of the school referendums and the amount of additional money they are requesting.
Since revenue controls and the referendum requirement went into effect in 1995, school districts must ask their voters to spend more. This has led to voters having more say over how much their local school district can take from them. The effects: growth in property taxes has slowed.
Despite the doomsday claims from some in the education community there have been positive improvements in the classroom as well. There are more teachers and non-teachers per student than ever before. They are among the best compensated in the country. Our kids are achieving some of the highest test scores in the nation. And they enjoy access to computers and other modern teaching aids. We have many new school buildings and a large selection of non-core classes and extra-curricular activities.
Without revenue controls, and without referendums, school districts would do what they did before – take more of your money without asking.
Because of the referendum requirement, school districts are more accountable to their communities and their voters. They have to talk more, explain more, discuss more, and attempt to convince us more. Property tax growth slowed after revenue caps went into place, because the people who pay the bills have more say. It’s that simple.
State taxpayers already spend nearly $10,000 per student. Public schools collect and spend 40% of all state and local tax revenues in Wisconsin. Do you think school boards would be spending more or less in all areas of public education if they didn’t have to ask?
What would our property taxes be? We’ve already got one of the highest property tax rates in the nation, even though the state subsidizes local schools with billions of dollars each and every year. State aid for schools hasn’t decreased in any budget during my twelve years in the legislature.
Think of the effect it would have on your family’s pocketbook if we had the same requirement on all levels of government. I wish we’d had it 30 years ago. Imagine how much less our governments would be taking from us today and how much lower our tax burden would be, if they’d had to ask the stakeholders – the taxpayers, the voters, the bill payers, the owners – for permission to spend over a certain amount.
Imagine how much stronger our economy would be. How much more money would be available for private investment, for payrolls, for prescriptions, for healthcare and all other costs of daily life.
As is the case within our democracy, some of these communities will vote their referendums down. Some will approve theirs. Some will win, some will lose. Maybe you will agree with their decisions, maybe not. The important thing is that we have the vote. They have to explain the reasons for additional spending. School districts have to ask us. Wouldn’t it be great if all of our governments did?
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Lasee’s Notes is a weekly column by Representative Frank Lasee, 2nd Assembly District, covering events in the Legislature and statewide.
Thirty-five school districts in Wisconsin have referendums on the ballot this fall. Voters in these districts will decide whether or not to allow their local schools to borrow more money for future building projects or to allow them to exceed the state’s revenue controls.
Twelve school districts already voted on their referendums earlier this month in the primary elections. Six passed and six failed. That is democracy. Those that passed requested nearly $23 million in new funding or a little less than $4 million per community. Those that failed requested over $36 million or $6 million per community.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, the total amount of additional spending and borrowing being requested through the fall referendums is nearly $473 million ($472,671,877). That is an average of nearly $13 million per community. The largest single request is in Janesville where voters there will be asked for over $70 million in additional funds. Click here to access a full list of the school referendums and the amount of additional money they are requesting.
Since revenue controls and the referendum requirement went into effect in 1995, school districts must ask their voters to spend more. This has led to voters having more say over how much their local school district can take from them. The effects: growth in property taxes has slowed.
Despite the doomsday claims from some in the education community there have been positive improvements in the classroom as well. There are more teachers and non-teachers per student than ever before. They are among the best compensated in the country. Our kids are achieving some of the highest test scores in the nation. And they enjoy access to computers and other modern teaching aids. We have many new school buildings and a large selection of non-core classes and extra-curricular activities.
Without revenue controls, and without referendums, school districts would do what they did before – take more of your money without asking.
Because of the referendum requirement, school districts are more accountable to their communities and their voters. They have to talk more, explain more, discuss more, and attempt to convince us more. Property tax growth slowed after revenue caps went into place, because the people who pay the bills have more say. It’s that simple.
State taxpayers already spend nearly $10,000 per student. Public schools collect and spend 40% of all state and local tax revenues in Wisconsin. Do you think school boards would be spending more or less in all areas of public education if they didn’t have to ask?
What would our property taxes be? We’ve already got one of the highest property tax rates in the nation, even though the state subsidizes local schools with billions of dollars each and every year. State aid for schools hasn’t decreased in any budget during my twelve years in the legislature.
Think of the effect it would have on your family’s pocketbook if we had the same requirement on all levels of government. I wish we’d had it 30 years ago. Imagine how much less our governments would be taking from us today and how much lower our tax burden would be, if they’d had to ask the stakeholders – the taxpayers, the voters, the bill payers, the owners – for permission to spend over a certain amount.
Imagine how much stronger our economy would be. How much more money would be available for private investment, for payrolls, for prescriptions, for healthcare and all other costs of daily life.
As is the case within our democracy, some of these communities will vote their referendums down. Some will approve theirs. Some will win, some will lose. Maybe you will agree with their decisions, maybe not. The important thing is that we have the vote. They have to explain the reasons for additional spending. School districts have to ask us. Wouldn’t it be great if all of our governments did?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lasee’s Notes is a weekly column by Representative Frank Lasee, 2nd Assembly District, covering events in the Legislature and statewide.
posted by John Q Cheesehead | 11:56 AM
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