Burmaster proposes more science, math spending
Says Wisconsin education "stretched to the limit"By Joe Quick, WSPRA Legislative Liaison State Superintendent Elizabeth "Libby" Burmaster submitted her 2009-11 biennial budget recommendations to the Governor, focusing on the state's need to ensure that students are well-prepared for the rigors of a 21st century global economy. In her annual State of Education address in the Capitol before school district administrators and others, Burmaster said, "Unless we reinvest in our PK-12 education system and make our students world ready, Wisconsin will lose our competitive edge in the 21st century." Burmaster proposes the state spend over $8 million during the next two years to expand science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) opportunities for the state's students. Most of the STEM spending comes in the second year of the biennium and includes $2.7 million in general revenues and $5 million in state bonding for capital projects providing technological improvements to STEM classrooms, intensive staff development opportunities for teachers by establishing four regional STEM academies, and continuing annual grants for Project Lead the Way, a national program designed to bring more students into Stem classes. Burmaster also addressed the fiscal crunch being experienced by school districts across the state, "Faced with fifteen years of revenue caps and rising costs, school boards have struggled to preserve academic success and promote innovation. They have been forced into agonizing decisions to close schools, cut programs, eliminate services and limit educational opportunities." She proposes—as described below-to allow districts to exceed the revenue limit by increasing the per pupil allowabel spending limit. The governor reviews the recommendations and puts into his budget the items he sees fit. The budget will be introduced early in 2009. The following is a thumbnail sketch of the budget's highlights. General aids-The budget recommends increasing general aids by $187M in FY10 and another $192M in FY11. The budget summary says the increase meets "approximately two-thirds of estimated partial school revenues." The increases are 3.9% and 3.85%, respectively. Revenue limit flexibility-Burmaster proposes that local school districts have more revenue limit flexibility by allowing local school boards to exceed the revenue limits by $335 in FY2010 (vs. $285 per student increase under current law) and $350 in FY2011 (vs. $297 under current law). This recommendation gives local school boards the option to spend more from the property tax levy. The DPI budget summary says this flexibility allows a 3.5% increase in revenue limit spending authority, versus a 3% increase allowed under current law. Special education (SPED) and bilingual aid-Both categoricals are provided enough money to keep the state reimbursement at current levels ($53M for the biennium?28.8% reimbursement for SPED; and $3.4M for the biennium-11.6% reimbursement for ELL/Bilingual). Low-incidence/high-cost SPED categorical-Burmaster proposes that the state fully fund low-incidence/high-cost SPED expenses. Currently the state reimburses at about 40% for this categorical aid which assists school districts with expenses for students whose education costs exceed $30,000 (and federal funding contributing about 20%). School safety grants-The budget recommends creating a $5.25M grant in the second year of the biennium. The grant would fund costs allowable under the Safe and Drug Free Schools & Communities Act, but are not paid under the grant. Elimination of the QEO-Consistent with her recommendation for the 2007-09 budget, Burmaster recommends elimination of the QEO (coupled with the revenue limit flexibility language). The governor accepted her recommendation and included the elimination in his budget-as did Senate Democrats-but the Assembly Republicans rejected the item and it was dropped in the final Conference Committee report that was approved by the Legislature. 4K grants-The budget request also proposes to double the 4K start-up grants from $3 to $6 million. Transportation aid-The recommendation increases all per pupil reimbursement rates for both years of the biennium and also allows school districts to claim refunds of the motor vehicle fuel tax. Burmaster also recommends increasing "sparsity aid" by $3.6 million in each year of the biennium. The aid is designed for small school districts that have a large geographical area to transport students. A more complete summary is available from the DPI electronically at http://dpi.wi.gov/pb/doc/highlights.doc.
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