2007-09 Legislative Agenda

Legislative Goals

Work to create a school finance system that provides the resources necessary to guarantee that every student meets the Wisconsin Model Academic Standards, the standard of achievement set by the Legislature.
Support thorough legislative review of Wisconsin's tax system, examining all taxing. The revised system to pay for K-12 schools should embrace progressive taxation, reduce the burden of residential property taxpayers and ensure tax fairness.

Stopgap Relief

Provide revenue limit relief to school districts for uncontrollable costs (utilities, transportation)
- Allow a local board of education to exceed the revenue limits by up to 2% of the district's total budget without having to go to referendum;
- Allow school districts to exceed the revenue limits for security-related expenses by up to $100 per pupil enrolled in the district;
- Modify the school aid formula so negative tertiary school district (Madison) taxpayers aren't penalized when the district borrows. (Madison Schools' taxpayers have to pay $1.61 for every dollar borrowed.)
Improve Medicaid reimbursement from state to school districts (current law allows the state to "skim" 40% of the federal Medicaid reimbursement dollars for school-based services)
Support state aid reimbursement for 4-year old kindergarten programs, similar to the reimbursement for 4-year old kindergarten in Milwaukee choice and charter schools.
Support increasing state aid for public school transportation costs
Support allowing a declining enrollment school district to use the highest enrollment in a 5-year period for purposes of calculating its revenue limit.
Support additional resources for mandated special education and English as a Second Language programs, currently reimbursed at 28% and 12%, respectively (when revenue limits began, the reimbursement was 45% and 33% respectively).
Maintain current law for disbursement of resources from the Common School Fund for public school libraries.
Support increase in per meal reimbursement for school breakfast programs.

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