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March 14, 2013Up, Down & Transparency: Madison Schools Received $11.8M more in State Tax Dollars last year, Local District Forecasts a Possible Reduction of $8.7M this YearThe Madison School District stands to lose millions of dollars in state aid under Gov. Scott Walker's budget proposal, district officials said Wednesday.One would hope that any budget article should include changes over time, which DeFour unfortunately neglects. Madison received an increase of $11.8M in redistributed state tax dollars last year. In addition, DeFour mentions that the current budget is 394,000,000. The most recent number I have seen is $385,886,990. where has the additional $8,113,010 come from? where is it being spent? was there a public discussion? Per student spending is now $14,541.42. Related: Ed Hughes on School District numbers in 2005: in 2005:: This points up one of the frustrating aspects of trying to follow school issues in Madison: the recurring feeling that a quoted speaker - and it can be someone from the administration, or MTI, or the occasional school board member - believes that the audience for an assertion is composed entirely of idiots.Posted by Jim Zellmer at March 14, 2013 6:29 AM Subscribe to this site via RSS/Atom: Newsletter signup | Send us your ideas
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my email to Mr. DeFour along with several State Journal employees and the Madison School Board: Hi all: I hope you are well. I write as a "digital subscriber" - the first time I've subscribed in years, perhaps a decade. I spent the money because I have seen a more assertive posture from your organization, one which I hope significantly expands. From looking at the Mayor's spending to the school District's superintendent selection process along with achievement issues, I am hopeful that the fourth estate will be far more assertive than the usual get along/go along. That said, I was surprised by Mr. DeFour's single talking/data point article: http://www.schoolinfosystem.org/archives/2013/03/up_down_transpa.php Ed Hughes' 2005 words on school related rhetoric, quoted in the above link, resonate today unfortunately. The District received a substantial increase in redistributed state tax dollars last year, but the article did not mention that fact. Nor did it note that the most recent budget number is greater than that approved last fall. I remember a school board meeting where a similar budget increase occurred under the Rainwater regime. Ruth Robarts asked what happened to the money. "We spent it where it needed to be spent".... Note that property taxes still increased last year despite more state $'s. Perhaps local taxpayers might wonder where the additional $8M came from this year and where it is going before property taxes go up again. This chart is worth contemplating: http://www.schoolinfosystem.org/archives/2008/09/wisconsin_tax_k.php Best wishes, Jim ============ For those interested in a bit more local history. The lack of financial transparency led to Lawrie Kobza's Citizen's budget (now defunct): The District has improved somewhat over the years in publishing more useful information, but it continues to lack longer term perspective on financial matters. It may be, in part, cultural. A prominent local politician told me over lunch several years ago that "one must always blame the state" for money problems. Unfortunately, thin rhetoric sets the tone on so many other matters, particularly achievement data: http://www.schoolinfosystem.org/archives/2005/11/on_november_7_s.php Posted by: Jim Zellmer at March 14, 2013 8:28 AMPost a comment
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