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An anticipated state budget deficit exceeding $1 billion has legislators looking to revise the state school aid formula. With increasing demand for accountability from schools, resources to ensure academic success are critical for schools. Changes to the school funding formula must take into account regional differences, special populations of students (special education, bilingual) and a variety of factors.
The simple act of freezing state revenues for schools at current levels - urged by Senate and Assembly Republican leaders and endorsed conceptually by Governor McCallum - translates into a cut of over $10 million for Madison schools for the 2002-03 school year. Clearly, long term solutions to the school-funding dilemma are necessary.
The following information outlines critical issues the district believes must be part of any discussion related to school funding changes. The information also examines Madison schools' experience with special education, low-income and bilingual students - identified by the Wisconsin Supreme Court as classes of students that must have required resources to allow "an equal opportunity for a sound, basic education" to ensure the state's school aid formula is constitutional.
