UNEQUAL AND IN JEOPARDY

A Video on School Finance

Institute for Wisconsin's Future
1998

SUMMARY

Unequal and in Jeopardy is a 15-minute educational video that illustrates the many ways funding shortages negatively affect Wisconsin public schools. Through interviews with school administrators, parents, teachers, and students, two major problems plaguing schools are explored:

Wisconsin schools are unequal. This is a result of differences in property wealth funding school districts. The video exposes startling differences between programs and resources available to the educational "haves" and "have nots" across the state.

All Wisconsin schools are in jeopardy. The financial constraints imposed by state revenue caps are jeopardizing all Wisconsin public schools.

Why are Wisconsin schools unequal?

The inequity in Wisconsin school funding stems from the fact that there are some school districts which have vast property wealth, while many others are property-poor. Because local property taxes provide basic school funding, a student's address often determines the quality of the schools he or she attends. This video meets with families, educators, and administrators in the Wisconsin school districts of Elmbrook, Algoma, and Superior to show how the wide range in local property values creates disparate abilities to fund schools at the local level.

Why are Wisconsin schools in jeopardy?

In 1993, the state imposed limits on how much revenue school districts can take in as a way to ease the burden on property taxpayers. This froze school spending at 1992 levels. Presently, the law allows school revenue to grow no faster than $211 per pupil each year.

Since spending caps were instituted, there have been financial shortfalls in many public schools. Poorer school districts have remained poor, and the quality of all schools has eroded, even in wealthy districts. In effect, revenue caps have imposed arbitrary financial limits on school districts. In each of the communities filmed, school officials talk about how spending caps have hurt the quality of education.

According to Bambi Statz, UW-Whitewater professor, revenue caps have taken away local control over the level of local taxation and spending for public education. The net effect of revenue caps has been to transfer this control to the state.

The video shows the impact of spending caps across Wisconsin.

A broad range of educational programs have been cut.
Teachers have been laid off.
Class sizes are getting larger in many districts.
Funding for the arts and technology related programs is often unavailable.
Buildings are literally falling apart.

What are the solutions?

School funding laws must be changed to ensure that all students receive a quality education in Wisconsin. Lawmakers and school boards need to hear from their constituents:

Local control over school district spending is crucial. Revenue caps must be flexible to meet the special needs in each district.
More state aid for poorer schools. State aid must equalize school spending to help property poor districts catch up with other wealthier school districts.
Adequate funding for quality education to provide smaller classes, experienced teachers and up-to-date technology.

The longer the spending caps remain in effect, the harder it will be to maintain the quality of education in Wisconsin. It’s time to stop the slow starvation of our public schools and ensure that ALL students, regardless of where they live, have equal access to educational opportunities.

Institute for Wisconsin's Future. (1998). Unequal and in jeopardy. Milwaukee, WI: Institute for Wisconsin's Future.

To obtain a VHS copy of this video, order online or contact IWF at 414-384-9094 or iwf@wisconsinsfuture.org.

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