I hope many of you have either contacted or are planning to contact Franklin School Board members to urge them to exercise inflationary restraint when they approve the school budget in late August. They need to be reminded that the community spoke loudly in April in favor of fiscal responsibility and sanity.
Be advised that school board members may attempt to argue in favor of a large tax increase, claiming it’s necessary because the state doesn’t give local school districts enough money.
In reality, the state is very generous when it comes to education funding. Here are some facts to consider:
• According to the non-partisan Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, “School levies, long the largest portion of Wisconsin property taxes, rose 5.4% in 2006-07.”
• The Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance reports that from 1987-2007, school aids/credits jumped 249.1% (6.5% yearly average).
• Statewide K-12 spending per student is above the national average.
• State support through general school aids for K-12 education grew from $2.2 billion in 1993-94 to just over $5.3 billion in 2006-2007, increasing by $3.1billion, in just thirteen years.
• These increases in spending on public education, ranging from one percent to 33 percent per year stand out in stark contrast to the rate of inflation that was between 1.6 percent and 3.4 percent in recent years.
• About half of the immense state budget goes to pay for education.
• The Wisconsin Policy Research Institute reports that a large area of K-12 spending is employee salaries and benefits. That’s what really happens when money leaves Madison and arrives in local districts.
• State law requires public employers to pay half of employee retirement contribution. Even so, close to 100% of these expenses is actually paid by school employers, rather than by employees.Please contact school board members soon. The short time it takes to make those contacts will be well worth the effort. Then consider attending the school board meeting in late August to make a stand for over-burdened taxpayers.
After all, it’s not their money. It’s yours.
DON’T WANT A BIG INCREASE IN YOUR SCHOOL TAXES? CONTACT FRANKLIN SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS NOW.
