September 12, 2014 at 4:39 p.m.
Schultz, Wright educate Northwoods residents on school funding formula
Schultz, Wright educate Northwoods residents on school funding formula
These are statements Northwoods residents have heard for years as they've watched their local school districts go to referendum year after year.
Northwoods residents heard similar assertions last October when the state's Task Force on Rural Schools gathered testimony from area superintendents, parents, and business leaders on the importance of revamping the school funding formula. They heard another version of the same story Thursday evening when Senator Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center) and Representative Mandy Wright (D-Wausau) gave a presentation on the funding formula in the James Williams Middle School auditorium. The event was hosted by the League of Women Voters of the Northwoods.
Thursday's presentation focused on issues such as poverty and the state's voucher program, which in the words of Schultz, "uses public money to subsidize some parents and some families for a private purpose." These are issues area school officials and residents have frequently mentioned when asking state representatives to change the formula.
More often than not, those requests have been met with remarks about how hard it is to change the formula. This time, however, residents heard two state representatives acknowledge the formula is flawed and outline changes that can be made.
Poverty levels were a major discussion point. At present, property values are the most prominent figure in the formula. Poverty levels are not taken into account. That needs to change, according to the legislators.
According to numbers shared by the representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, statewide poverty levels, as outlined by the number of students who qualify for free and reduced lunches, have doubled since 2001.
During that year, 21 percent of students qualified for free and reduced lunches. In 2012, that figure rose to 43 percent. That figure hovers around 50 percent for students in the School District of Rhinelander.
Schultz said it's time to realize that poverty is a big factor in how Wisconsin students perform.
"It's important because the researchers tell us that good schools make a difference. Excellent teachers make a difference. Having good supplies makes a difference. Having the right friends makes a difference. But, none of them holds a candle to the impact of poverty on a kid's ability to learn," he said.
"And what do we do? We spend all of our time beating up the schools, it seems, in the legislature instead of dealing with something that is fundamental and critically important."
Schultz said now is the time to make local legislators and candidates understand the importance of poverty.
"This is the time to let politicians know that you're wise to the game, that it really is a bigger problem that we have to address as a state, if we're going to be successful in the long run," he said.
"We all know that kids who aren't adequately dressed and don't eat well don't come to school prepared to learn."
The representatives said data shows a strong correlation between poverty and how schools perform.
Wright said data clearly shows the state should not penalize low-performing, high-poverty schools by taking money away, but figure out a different way to support those schools and those students.
"I've seen far too many proposals which penalize schools which are low-performing," she said.
"Lots of times, the root factor is that the kids are poor. It doesn't help to take more funding away from that school. That's not going to motivate them to actually teach the kids better. In fact, it's going to detract resources from our kids that need it the most."
Poverty can be tough to discuss, Schultz said, but added that it's time to move past that and begin a real conversation about its effect on Wisconsin kids.
"It's not an easy thing to talk about. We don't find ourselves comfortable talking about race or what to do about poverty," Schultz said. "One of the things about the Great Recession is that we all know somebody that lost a job or was laid off or who lost a home. Hopefully, the fact that all of this occurred at the same time maybe will (help people realize) the fact that there are very real challenges to Wisconsin families and that those challenges need to be discussed."
From poverty, the focus shifted to the formula itself.
"For a very basic version of school funding, we start with the revenue limit, we subtract state equalization aid and we end up with the property tax levy. There are a few other areas outside the revenue limits - federal funds, categorical aid and other revenues - but it's important to understand that basic formula," Wright explained.
"The important thing here is the revenue limit. That's the amount of money that a school district's going to have available and the state government has seen fit to cap that," Schultz added.
"We spend a lot of time talking about merit in how we pay our educators, about how we're not against teachers, we just want to pay for just the good ones, not the bad ones. One of the things you need to remember is with a revenue limit and declining funding to school districts, nobody has really asked the question of where is the money going to come from so that we can be competitive to pay those superior educators."
Wright then outlined a scenario Northwoods residents know all too well.
"School funding is mostly based on property taxes, so if you have a high property tax value district, but you happen to have students of poverty, ... then you have a double whammy because you're getting very little state aid and you have high poverty students," she said.
To make sure that scenario doesn't happen anymore, bipartisan action is needed, the lawmakers said.
"The only way we will see some relief in the Wisconsin legislature - take it from a guy who's been there for 32 years and gets it - is if there is bipartisan support, fierce bipartisan support taking on party leadership," Schultz said.
"We've got to say, 'I love my political party, but I love the folks back home a lot more and they deserve a better shake.' We need people who are going to stand up and say, 'People back home first, party second.'"
That type of support is also going to be needed to end the use of public dollars for private schools, the pair said.
When beginning to discuss vouchers, Schultz admitted to the crowd that he initially voted for the voucher program.
"I have sinned and I'm hoping that you remember what the good book says about throwing stones. I voted for vouchers and I think you deserve to know why," he said.
"When they started, it was very small and I think that the legislature and myself thought we ought to be about the business of trying to do the very best that we can. That means, once in a while, you've got to try new things. We should try them, test them and see how they work."
"But what have we seen?" he went on. "We've seen it starting out small and all of a sudden exploding ... and last week on the news the governor doubled down on vouchers and said he's going to blow the lids off in terms of the caps. The program will be dramatically expanded."
That action, taking the cap off the voucher program, could cost the state $1 billion, the pair said. That's money that could be used for public schools.
"We have wonderful parochial schools in this state and I think the parents who care enough about their religious values, that they want to see them invocated in their kids, that's a wonderful thing," Schultz said. "But what we've always set in this state is a baseline where we've provided an opportunity for every kid, and then if you wanted to add to that, you've had choices as a parent. And that was a private matter. ... What the state is proposing to do is to take public dollars and spend them for a private purpose."
"We're not adequately funding our public schools right now and now we're talking about a dramatic expansion ... headed toward a billion dollars," he added. "I think it's fair to ask people ... where are we going to get the money and how are we going to pay for it in the meantime when we don't have the money to do what we're doing now? Those are fair questions to ask those knocking on your door looking for your vote."
Oftentimes that's when the presentation ends, without any kind of solution being offered. Northwoods residents are used to that. This time, however, the approximately 40 people in attendance were offered at least an inkling of hope that things could change.
The legislators outlined proposals that could bring some relief to rural, poverty-stricken schools.
They outlined proposals for increasing special education aid and sparsity reimbursement rates, rural teacher loan forgiveness and restoring two-thirds of state funding for education.
They also spoke in support of the Fair Funding for our Future proposal from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers.
The pair said the proposal would increase revenue limits to at least $225 per pupil, hold the line on property taxes, guarantee state funding of at least $3,000 per pupil for every student, provide predictable growth in state aid and send state aid directly to schools.
That would mean 95 percent of the districts in the state would see increases in aid while the rest would stay the same.
Northwoods residents are often told a change to the formula won't happen because too many legislators are worried about losing money for their districts. Schultz said that is an unrealistic concern as the Evers proposal would not decrease funding for any district.
"What's the overall effect? 95 percent of the districts get an increase - 402 out or 424 - and all the rest of the districts are held harmless," he said.
"We're sensitive to the fact that you can't just go out and take money away from people."
While it's the legislature that will eventually have to get the job done, Schultz said now is the time for people to question their representatives on these issues.
"Is it fair to ask candidates and incumbents when was the last time you visited with a school board member about these issues seriously? When was the last time you toured a local public school and made yourself available to the superintendent and members of the board to answer questions? How much do you know about our district?" he said.
"Yes it is, and those questions need to be asked and they need to be answered."
Marcus Nesemann may be reached at [email protected].
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