Taxpayer Oversight of Voucher Spending Increases Proposed |
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News - Articles for State & Local |
Written by Wisconsin Senate Democrats |
Friday, 07 April 2017 09:12 |
https://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/school-meeting-crowd-s5.jpg MADISON - Four Democratic budget and education leaders lauded voters on Thursday for supporting public education in districts across the state and called for the same control over new spending at taxpayer-funded voucher schools that voters currently have over public schools.
The legislators plan to introduce legislation requiring a referendum to pass before voucher schools can take state aid out of a public school district. The 2015 state budget changed state law to divert state funding, at a rate much higher per student than public schools receive, to voucher schools. The legislators believe voters deserve the same referendum oversight they have over public schools when property taxpayers are liable to face increases because voucher payments are being siphoned off.
Under Gov. Walker’s proposed state budget, school districts would lose $7700-$8400 per student in general state aid to voucher schools by 2019. The legislators noted figures from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau showing that public school students receive only $6700 on average, meaning voucher schools are taking more out of public schools per student than state aid puts in.
Additional figures from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau show that districts are losing $25.5 million to voucher schools this year alone.
The lawmakers pointed out that communities were forced to go to referendum 225 times since the beginning of 2016. School districts seeking voter approval to exceed revenue caps must provide detailed information on how tax dollars would be spent. The Democratic legislators said their bill will give taxpayers the opportunity to require voucher schools seeking local and state tax dollars to do the same. **** CONTACTS: Sen. Janet Bewley, Senate Education Committee 608-266-3510, Sen. Mark Miller, Senate Minority Caucus Chair 608-266-9170, Rep. Sondy Pope, Assembly Education Committee 608-266-3520, Rep. Gordon Hintz, Joint Committee on Finance 608-266-2254 |
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