2006 Interim Study Committee - Review of State School Aid Formula

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Special Committee on Review of State School Aid Formula

Chair: Sen. Luther Olsen
Legislative Council Staff: Russ Whitesel and Mary Matthias
Member List

The Special Committee is directed to study the current state school aid formula for public elementary and secondary schools in the state and to develop legislation to improve the method of allocating state funds to school districts. The committee shall review the various components that are used to calculate and distribute school aids under the equalization formula and for categorical programs. Also, the committee may review issues related to declining enrollment and increasing property values. The committee may also review the current statutory restraints on local spending, including revenue limits and general referendum requirements, and qualified economic offers to teachers under the Municipal Employment Relations Act. In addition, the committee may review funding formulas in other states and emerging trends in school finance as well as issues associated with rising property values and declining enrollments.

Report to the Legislature
Report to the Legislature, RL 2007-12 (1-08-08) 2007 Senate 400 and 2007 Assembly Bill 653
Recommendation to the Joint Legislative Council (December 12, 2007)
Proposed Report to the Legislature, 2007-12, Special Committee on Review of State School Aid Formula (April 30, 2007) LRB-2279/1, relating to awarding grants to school districts for school district consolidation feasibility studies; increasing the low-revenue ceiling for school district revenue limit purposes; authorizing a school district to exceed its revenue limit under certain conditions; modifying the school district revenue limit adjustment for declining enrollment; distributing transportation aid balances to school districts; providing for a study; and making an appropriation Memorandum, Legislation Proposed by the Joint Legislative Council’s Special Committee on Review of State School Aid Formula; Changes to Reflect Provisions Enacted in Biennial Budget Bill [2007 Wisconsin Act 20] LRB-2279/3, relating to increasing the low-revenue ceiling for school district revenue limit purposes; authorizing a school district to exceed its revenue limit under certain conditions; modifying the school district revenue limit adjustment for declining enrollment; distributing transportation aid balances to school districts; and providing for a study
April 2, 2007 Mail Ballot
LRB-2279/1, relating to awarding grants to school districts for school district consolidation feasibility studies; increasing the low-revenue ceiling for school district revenue limit purposes; authorizing a school district to exceed its revenue limit under certain conditions; modifying the school district revenue limit adjustment for declining enrollment; distributing transportation aid balances to school districts; providing for a study; and making an appropriation
Additional Material
Memo No. 1, Summary of Actions Taken by the Joint Legislative Council's Special Committee on Review of State School Aid Formula (January 31, 2007)
January 22, 2007 Meeting	Notice	Agenda	Audio	Minutes
Memoranda from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau: Pupil Transportation Aid - Example of Option for Aid for Excess Costs Revenue Limits - Information on Additional $100 Increase in Low-Revenue Ceiling Revenue Limits - Flexibility Options Memorandum, from Jerry Trochinski, Superintendent, School District of Phillips (December 6, 2006) WLC: 0029/1, relating to creating a grant program for school district consolidation feasibility studies, making an appropriation, and creating rule-making authority Charts, submitted by Andrew, Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Public Member: Characteristics of "Low Revenue" K-12 School Districts, 2005-06 Proposal to Loosen Revenue Limits, Impacts by School District Property Value per Student Characteristics of School Districts Classified by Property Value per Student, 2005-06 Proposal to Loosen Revenue Limits, Impacts by Size of School District Characteristics of School Districts Classified by Number of Students, 2005-06
December 18, 2006 Meeting	Notice	Agenda	Audio	Minutes
Memoranda from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau: Pupil Transportation Costs – Options for Additional Categorical Aid Large Area, Low Enrollment School Districts – Options for Sparsity Aid Additional Information on Declining Enrollment Alternatives Revenue Limits – Low-Revenue Ceiling WLC: 0029/1, relating to creating a grant program for school district consolidation feasibility studies, making an appropriation, and creating rule-making authority
November 17, 2006 Meeting	Notice	Agenda	Audio AM Audio PM	Minutes
Memoranda from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau: Pupil Transportation Costs Options for Aid Based on District Sparsity Revenue Limits - Declining Enrollment School District Consolidation Aid Under Current Law Equalization Aid - Secondary Cost Ceiling Memorandum, Follow-up on my presentation of October 25, 2006, from Jack Norman, Institute for Wisconsin's Future (November 8, 2006)
October 25, 2006 Meeting	Notice	Agenda	Audio AM Audio PM	Minutes
Memorandum, School District Referenda, from David Carlson, Director, School Financial Services Team, Department of Public Instruction (October 3, 2006) Letter, from Green Bay School District (October 10, 2006) Publication, Wisconsin's School Finance, A Policy Primer, the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs University of Wisconsin Madison Publication, Wisconsin Atlas of School Finance, Geographic, Demographic, and Fiscal Factors Affecting School Districts Across the State, Institute for Wisconsin's Future (February 2004) Publication, Wisconsin Atlas of School Finance, Geographic, Demographic, and Fiscal Factors Affecting School Districts Across the State, Institute for Wisconsin's Future (2004) (SUMMARY VERSION) PowerPoint Presentation, Moving From Good to Great in Wisconsin: Funding Schools Adequately and Doubling Student Performance, distributed by Allan Odden, The Wisconsin School Finance Adequacy Initiative (October 20, 2006) PowerPoint Presentation, 2007-09 DPI Biennial Budget School Finance Initiatives, by the Department of Public Instruction Handout, Eligible School Districts for Sparsity Initiative in DPI 2007-09 Biennial Budget, distributed by the Department of Public Instruction PowerPoint Presentation, Financing Public Education, by Jack Norman
October 5, 2006 Meeting	Notice	Agenda	Audio AM Audio PM	Minutes
Article, Must Enrollment Declines Spell Financial Chaos For Districts?, distributed by Chair Olsen Handout, Dr. Bob Kellogg - Administrator CESA 9 Testimony by Selected School District Administrators: Susan Alexander, Markesan School District Gerald Trochinski, Phillips School District Richard Parks, Phelps School District Thomas Evert, Janesville, School District James Friesen, Owen-Withee School District Table Randal Rosburg, Somerset School District Mel Lightner, Kimberly Area School District William Andrekopoulos, Milwaukee Public School District Comparative Budget Enrollment Fact Sheet
September 13, 2006 Meeting	Notice	Agenda	Audio AM Audio PM	Minutes
Legislative Fiscal Bureau Informational Paper No. 27, Elementary and Secondary School Aids (January 2005) Publication, State Financing of K-12 Education in Wisconsin, Overview, Legislative Fiscal Bureau (September 13, 2006) Memorandum, 2005-06 Estimated State Support for School Districts (May 15, 2006) Legislative Fiscal Bureau Informational Paper No. 12, Local Government Expenditure and Revenue Limits (January 2005) Information Memorandum 00-08, Constitutionality of Wisconsin School Aid Formula (July 31, 2000) Principles of a Sound State School Finance System (July 1996)

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