SCHOOL BOARDS SOUND OFF ON BUDGET
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 -- 1:58 PM
"The legislature and the governor have presented school boards with the largest challenge we've ever had to face," says John Ashley, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards.He is referring to the budget approved by the legislature and signed into law by Gov. Jim Doyle on Tuesday.
Not only does the budget cut state aid for public education, it also reduces the per pupil increase to the revenue cap from $275 to $200. For example, Neillsville will lose over $77,000 because of that change.
Then there?s the QEO.
The Qualified Economic Offer for teachers is repealed immediately and cash-strapped districts won?t have much leverage because of new arbitration rules.
"It doesn't make much sense to the public that, when you're arbitrating with a teachers union, you won't consider local economic conditions," says Ashley, "but that's exactly what this budget does."
The budget will invariably lead to districts having to go to referendum to maintain the status quo, and the public might respond negatively to higher teacher salaries.
"One of the concerns that school boards have had all along with repeal of the QEO is that, with the economy in the predicament that it is, there's a concern that, if teachers get higher salaries...that could lead to a backlash against education," he says.
Ashley hopes these tough times will convince representatives from all sides of the discussion to work out meaningful funding reform.
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