WisGOP budget delays are especially hurting rural schools, vouchers

As if hinted at in the past, the delay in the Wisconsin state budget is now going to have real effects on Wisconsin schools, even if the State Legislature goes ahead with Governor Walker's proposal and gives sizable increases to per-pupil school aids in the final document. That's because that extra money can't go out the door until the final numbers are known, and the WisGOP dallying on the budget has kept that from happening.

In Wisconsin, school districts get their first aid payments from the state with the start of school in September. However, with no increase in either general or per-pupil aids finalized in the state budget, that means schools are taking on a risk if they assume they will get any of that extra money until the budget passes, and many have apparently chosen not to do that. Recent published reports have quoted some school officials saying they will begin the year with larger classrooms and/or reduced staff because full-time positions can’t be offered without the guarantee of funding to back it up. In addition, a recent memo from the Department of Public Instruction says that payments for sparsity aid and proposed increases to voucher/charter schools won’t happen until the budget that is signed into law.

Those delays in the budget are causing uncertainties for many districts, but might the most stressful on small rural districts who may be counting on that sparsity aid to maintain their regular operations.

The Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance represents around 150 rural districts in the state. Executive Director Kim Kaukl said it’s possible some rural schools are trying to keep costs down in several ways, including holding off on buying equipment.

"Some districts may start with substitutes in classrooms that weren’t filled yet or they may choose just to drop a section of a class," Kaukl said.
Some districts are developing contingency plans in the event they’ll see less money than what’s been proposed, said Ken Kasinski, administrator of the Cooperative Educational Service Agency in northern Wisconsin.

"If a district is lucky enough to have a fund balance, they’ll be looking at maybe tapping that fund balance along the way to be able to offset that until aid dollars come in," he said.

The concerns must finally be getting through to the WisGOPs that run the Legislature, as the Joint Finance Committee looks like they will finally be picking up K-12 school funding on Monday, which might at least give districts a better picture of what things look like before the first classes begin.

Waiting for these large quarterly payments for both vouchers and public schools is something that some legislators are now thinking of changing. That was the subject of a bill that received a public hearing in the Assembly’s Education Committee today, which would spread out payments evenly and more frequently throughout the year.

Under current law, a school district receives 15 percent of its state aid in September, 25 percent in December, 25 percent in March and 35 percent in June.
Current law also provides an option for a school district to receive its state aid in ten equal monthly payments from September to June. Under current law, if a school
district opts to receive its state aid in ten equal payments, the school district must compensate the state for any lost interest. Under the bill, school districts receive state aid in 12 equal monthly payments. The bill retains the option for a school district to receive its state aid in ten equal payments but eliminates the requirement that such a school district compensate the state for any lost interest.

Under current law, the Department of Public Instruction pays annual amounts due to operators of independent charter schools and to private schools participating in a choice program or the Special Needs Scholarship Program in four equal quarterly installments. These installments are paid in September, November, February, and May. Under the bill, other than for the first school year in which payments are received, DPI pays operators of independent charter schools and private schools participating in a choice program or the Special Needs Scholarship Program in 12 equal monthly installments. For the first school year in which an operator of an independent charter school or private school participating in a choice program receives a payment from DPI and for the first year in which a pupil participates in the Special Needs Scholarship Program, DPI pays the annual amount due in ten equal monthly installments.

Also, there wouldn’t be a holdup for late payments in case future budgets can’t get passed.

For the payments from July to October, the total aid entitlement for each district shall be estimated based upon the total aid payment in the previous year. The November payment shall be adjusted to account for any difference between the total amount paid from July to October and one-third of the school district's total aid entitlement for the school year.

Dem Senate Leader Jen Shilling called out WisGOP for its lack of leadership and responsibility to fund the schools on time.

From transportation project delays to school funding shortfalls, the Republican dysfunction in Madison is affecting local jobs and driving up costs for taxpayers.

For months, Gov. Walker and Legislative Republicans have refused to pass a budget that prioritizes community schools and fixes Wisconsin’s transportation deficit. Instead, they’ve continued to push more tax breaks for the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of our working families and seniors.

As a result of these misplaced priorities, Wisconsin is now one of only two states in the entire country that doesn’t have a new budget in place – and local communities are paying the price.

Damn right, Jen. And even if the K-12 funding package is shoved through on Monday (and God knows what it'll look like), self-inflicted damage by WisGOP's foolishness has already been done.