(Published Wednesday, April 25, 2007 11:09:30 AM CST)
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
By Frank Schultz Gazette staff
The Janesville School Board is girding for a David-versus-Goliath battle.
The board began loading its slingshot at its meeting Tuesday night.
Board members hope to persuade state lawmakers to help them and other school districts balance their budgets.
The district has cut its budget in each of the past three years, and more budget cuts are expected unless something is done.
Teachers' jobs are on the line, as is the quality of education in Janesville, school officials say.
"Next year's cuts might make this year's cuts look easy," said Tim Cullen, a new school board member who was a powerful member of the state Legislature in the 1980s.
Cullen has proposed a plan of attack he hopes will lead to more money from the state. Several school board members expressed support for the idea.
Members hope to start their push for change May 7, when they meet with the state Sen. Judy Robson, D-Beloit, and Assembly Rep. Mike Sheridan, D-Janesville.
If anything can be done, it must be done soon. The Legislature is working on a two-year budget for the state, with a deadline to pass it by June 30.
Cullen proposes districts like Janesville's could get relief from the state under a "50-25-25" formula:
-- 50 percent of a district's budget shortfall would be handled by cutting the district budget or finding new efficiencies.
-- 25 percent of the shortfall would be paid by the state.
-- 25 percent would come from local property taxes.
Cullen said that if Janesville has to make up a budget shortfall of $2 million, as is expected in 2008, the effect of the 50-25-25 plan would be a tax increase of just over $1 a month on a home valued at $100,000.
If the district brought in new revenue from advertising or naming rights, the tax burden would be reduced by that amount.
Board member Bill Sodemann said Cullen's plan could be too confusing and could spawn a need for new bureaucrats in Madison to oversee it.
Sodemann noted taxpayers would be paying the state's 25 percent out of their income and sales taxes and their own 25 percent through property taxes.
Sodemann also said he worried local taxpayers would be contributing to help other school districts that aren't as efficient in their operations as Janesville.
Amy Rashkin, a lawyer who also was elected to the board this month, drafted a detailed proposal based on Cullen's ideas and input from other board members and district staff.
The plan includes safeguards so that districts couldn't manipulate their budgets to get increased state aid.
Board member Kevin Murray said the plan is a good starting point for discussions with legislators. DuWayne Severson agreed.
Rashkin said the plan is a work in progress. She said it could be an instrument to show legislators the school-funding formula is the problem and to keep the formula in the forefront of discussions.
"It's basically a brainstorm," Rashkin said. "It's been in existence for 12 days."
Cullen said a key to the political push would be how many other districts could influence their own representatives.
The Janesville teachers union has been involved in discussions about the effort and expressed support.
Hopes are to re-form a dormant joint committee on legislative matters.
Superintendent Tom Evert expressed hope that the board could have an effect on the state budget process.
"This goes well beyond the many times we have appeared before committees and said, 'Things are bad; we need relief,'" he said.
Other business In other business Tuesday, the Janesville School Board:
-- Approved new rules for summer school makeup courses. Middle-schoolers who accumulate more than two absences will not receive credit. The former limit was five absences. High-schoolers in makeup or transitional courses will not receive credit if they accumulate more than two absences. The former limit was three.
-- Accepted the retirements of these teachers, effective in June: Karen Hackett, music teacher at Madison Elementary School, 29 years in the district; Jean Schollmeier, talented-and-gifted teacher at Madison, Van Buren and Kennedy schools, 34.5 years; Karl Stillman, tech-ed teacher at Craig High School, 13 years; Chet Taylor, social studies teacher at Craig, 33 years; Suzanne VanGalder, art teacher at Craig, 19 years; Patricia Venable, kindergarten teacher at Kennedy School, 23 years, and Renee Wolters, phy ed teacher at Parker High School, 33 years.
-- Accepted these resignations, all effective June 11: Jennifer Scott Curwood, English, Craig, four years in Janesville; Tania Lopez, second grade, Roosevelt, one year; Kristine Schieve, special education, Craig, 19.5 years; Cynthia Vanderkin, special education, Parker, 10 years; Marcella Van Dyck, counselor, Craig, three years; Sharon Coogan, Parker Spanish teacher, 2.5 years, and Aaron Mikkelson, Franklin Middle School math teacher, six years.
-- Appointed five new teachers, scheduled to start Aug. 27: Cynthia Freymiller, a 2007 UW-Platteville graduate, as Craig math teacher; and Ryan Reich, a 2007 UW-Whitewater graduate, as math teacher at Parker; Laura Dunn, 2007 graduate of UW-W, as business teacher at Parker; Andrew Holmes, a 2007 graduate of UW-W, as English teacher at Parker, and Joseph Line, a December 2006 graduate of UW-W, as special education teacher at Craig.
Storyline The problem: Janesville school officials say the state's school-funding formula does not allow schools to keep up with increases in expenses, most of which are salaries and benefits. The problem leads to budget cuts that harm education, officials said.
The push: The Janesville School Board hopes to pressure legislators to ease the pressure on financially strapped school districts.
What's next: The Legislative Committee of the Janesville School Board plans to meet at 3 p.m. Monday, May 7. The committee plans to meet with Sen. Judy Robson, D-Beloit, and Rep. Mike Sheridan, D-Janesville, at 4 p.m.
