Presentation to JFC Committe on April 10, 2013

Here is the text of the testimony provided at the JFC committee hearing on April 10 in Wisconsin Dells on behalf of the Hillsboro School District.

As representatives of the Hillsboro School District we stand before you today to express our grave concerns with the proposed 2013-15 Biennium budget. In the past budget cycle our district saw a decrease in our revenue limit of $517 per student which was followed by a modest $50 increase. We used every tool available to us with Act 10 to balance our budgets, but with the proposed $0 increase in per pupil spending our district will have to begin making decisions that will put our students at a significant disadvantage. 

While fuel costs, health care costs, and food service costs continue to increase, we are now being faced with additional costs in order to prepare for the state’s transition to Smarter Balanced assessments, implementation of Educator Effectiveness training, and developing our curriculum to align with the Common Core standards.  This is all to be accomplished with no increase in per pupil spending and as a result of state mandates.

With no increase in the revenue limit, we will be forced to consider cutting academic programs that are not the essential required courses for graduation such as tech ed, business, ag., and the fine arts also we will have to consider significantly increasing our class sizes which will negatively impact student learning. In our rural community these are essential courses for our students as they will need to compete with other students for jobs and admission to colleges.

The budget is calling for an increase in charter and voucher school options that will drain available funding from our school and community. We do not believe that the issues of expanding private school vouchers and the changes in charter school authority are appropriate items to be included in the budget given the lack of financial support that is being provided for Wisconsin’s public school students. As lawmakers how can it be justified to propose a $0 increase for public school students, but a $600 increase for K-8 private school students and a $1400 increase for 9-12 grade private school students?

As a voice for our public school, we say that we are being set up for failure even though the state is failing to provide an appropriate level of support for our schools and our students.

It is our opinion that this budget as proposed would put our district at risk of failing. And, if our school fails our community will likely follow. To the 1300 residents of Hillsboro and the 525 students of our school…this is a tragic scenario.

We ask that you do the right and just thing and for ALL students in Wisconsin and remove charter school and voucher expansion language from the budget and provide a $150 per pupil increase as Senators Luther Olsen and Mike Ellis have discussed. When Governor Walker presented this budget he said: “I ask the members of this state legislature to review, improve, and then pass this budget. Working together, we can continue to move Wisconsin forward.” Let’s work together and move Wisconsin forward for all our students, not just the few.