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| Adequacy |
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Wisconsin Atlas of School Finance: Geographic, Demographic, and Fiscal Factors Affecting School Districts Across the State Author: Jack Norman, Ph.D. (IWF) Date: February 2004 This report presents in-depth data on urban, suburban, and rural districts and how they compare in the population of students they serve, the economic factors they confront, and the tax and spending responsibilities they face in Wisconsin's current school-finance system. It also includes a special section on districts in the northern lake region of the state. (44 pp.) Online Versions:
Related: Press Release |
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Funding Our Future: An Adequacy Model for Wisconsin School Finance Author: Jack Norman, Ph.D. (IWF) Date: June 2002 This report describes a new school finance system—one designed to link the needs of students to the state's academic standards to ensure that all children, regardless of their special needs or the location of their schools, have the opportunity to succeed. It serves as the basis to Funding Our Future: The Wisconsin Adequacy Plan (above). The full report includes a cost-out of the Adequacy model for each of Wisconsin's 426 school districts. (111 pp.) Online Versions:
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National Forum on School Funding Adequacy: Review of Current Efforts and Participating Organizations Author: Institute for Wisconsin's Future Date: March 2000 IWF, in partnership with the National School Boards Association, coordinates a national school funding network. This publication profiles 30 organizations working towards the Adequacy method of funding schools across the country. It includes contact information and a description of each organization's efforts. (34 pp.) Order Print Copies (unavailable online) |
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Defining a Thorough Education Infrastructure: The Wisconsin Educator Survey on Necessary School Resource Standards Authors: Thomas Moore, Ph.D. (IWF) & Public Policy Forum (conducted survey) Date: October 1999 This report provides the groundwork for establishing adequate funding in Wisconsin's public schools. It presents an analysis of a comprehensive educator survey used to determine the resources—staff, materials, facilities—schools need to provide all students a quality education and an opportunity to meet state standards. (29 pp.) Order Print Copies (unavailable online) |
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Unequal and in Jeopardy Producer: Institute for Wisconsin's Future Date: 1998 This video offers a telling view of 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 due to differences in property wealth, and all Wisconsin schools are in jeopardy due to state revenue caps. (TRT: 14:12) Online Versions:
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WAES School Funding Briefs IWF serves as the research and staffing partner of the Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools (WAES), a diverse, statewide coalition whose goal is comprehensive school funding reform. WAES offers a series of double-sided, one-page school-funding reform briefs, which explain the Adequacy model of school-finance reform and how it affects our schools and children. Briefs can be used as handouts for community presentations and those who have minimal knowledge of school-finance. |
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Funding Brief #3: Author: Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools Date: Fall 2003 What is Adequacy and why does Wisconsin need it? This brief answers these questions and more. In an easy-to-read format, it provides an overview of the school-funding model and what it means for Wisconsin's children. (2 pp.) Online Versions:
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Funding Brief #2: Author: Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools Date: Fall 2003 Early childhood education is critical to future learning, yet in 60% of Wisconsin's school districts, it is inaccessible, underfunded, or unavailable. This brief shows why early childhood education is an essential resource of a quality education. (2 pp.) Online Versions:
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Funding Brief #1: Author: Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools Date: Fall 2003 This brief demonstrates how the federal government's "No Child Left Behind Act" calls for all the things we want for our children, but falls far, far short of funding these new mandates—putting even more pressure on Wisconsin's failing school-finance system. (2 pp.) Online Versions:
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Revenue Limits |
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Are School Revenue Limits Limiting Learning? Authors: Institute for Wisconsin's Future, with help from Appleton PTA Council, Big 8 Summit on Spending Caps, Janesville Joint Legislative Committee, Price County Citizens Who CARE, Stevens Point Area PTA, Superior School District, West Allis/West Milwaukee PTA Council, Wisconsin Federation of Teachers, Wisconsin PTA Date: January 2001 This report shows that all of Wisconsin's schools are seriously struggling due to the revenue limits law, which freezes school spending levels based on the 1992-1993 school year and allows for insufficient increases that don't keep pace with rising education costs. Drawing from statewide forums before the Senate Education Committee and the testimony of students, teachers, administrators, business professionals, and citizens, the report illustrates the alarming effects revenue limits have on schools. (66 pp.) Online Versions:
Related: Press Release |
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Wisconsin's School Funding Crisis: A Threat to Our Children's Future Producer: Institute for Wisconsin's Future Date: March 2001 This video offers an inside look at the devastating effects revenue limits have on schools and what citizens can do about it. It features statewide forums, where hundreds of students, teachers, administrators, business professionals, and others testified before the Senate Education Committee. The video is a useful companion to the report, Are School Revenue Limits Limiting Learning? (above). (TRT: 10:00) |
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A School District in Crisis: An Analysis of the Impact of Budget Cuts on Schools in the Racine School District Author: Institute for Wisconsin's Future Date: February 1999 This report outlines the significant cuts in Racine school programs resulting from a $4.8 million budget cut in 1998-99 made due to revenue limits and declining enrollment. (12 pp.) Online Version:
Order Print Copies (Summary also available) |
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School District Survey Report: The Impact of Revenue Limits on Metro Milwaukee Area Schools Districts Author: Institute for Wisconsin's Future Date: December 1998 This survey of 25 school districts in the greater Milwaukee area shows that all districts, including more affluent suburban districts, are facing serious financial problems due to revenue limits. (6 pp.) Online Version:
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Assessing the Impact of Fiscal Constraints and Revenue Caps on Wisconsin Public Schools Authors: Stephen L. Percy, Donald P. Haider-Markel, Theodore W. McDonald, & Peter Maier (Center for Urban Initiatives and Research/University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) Date: February 1998 The findings of this study suggest that financial shortfalls in school budgets across the state are largely the result of spending caps, which pose a significant threat to the quality of education in Wisconsin’s public schools. (50 pp.) Online Version: Order Print Copies (Full Report also available) Related: Press Release |
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Other School Finance and Education Areas |
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Death by a Thousand Cuts: How Wisconsin’s Revenue Limits Erode the Budgets of Public Schools Author: Jack Norman, Ph.D. (IWF) Date: November 2005 The typical district in Wisconsin has to deal with a built-in annual deficit of 1.7%, a gap that forces cuts in staffing, programs, maintenance, and/or purchasing, according to this survey of district superintendents by the Institute for Wisconsin's Future. (4 pp.) Online Version:
Related: Press Release |
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Milwaukee Public Schools’ Funding Over the Last Decade Falls Behind Other Milwaukee County Districts Authors: Michael Rosen (Economics Department/Milwaukee Area Technical College), with research assistance from Michael Grover (IWF) Date: 1998 This study reveals that in real dollars, adjusted for inflation, per pupil spending rose for Milwaukee Public Schools by just $240, a 4.5 percent increase between 1987-88 and 1996-97. This is less than all other Milwaukee County school districts. (4 pp.) Online Version:
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Tax Funding for Private School Alternatives: The Financial Impact on Milwaukee Public Schools and Taxpayers Author: Thomas Moore, Ph.D. (IWF) Date: October 1998 This report finds that the Milwaukee Public Schools lose over $22 million in state aid under the current funding system for voucher and charter school programs. (14 pp.) Order Print Copies (unavailable online) |
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Windfall for the Wealthy: The Impact of 1995 Property Tax Relief Legislation on Wisconsin Households Author: Bambi L. Statz (College of Business and Economics/School Business Management Program/University of Wisconsin-Whitewater) Date: January 1997 This study examines 1995 school finance and property tax relief legislation on a district-by-district basis. The author finds that there is minimal tax relief for taxpayers in moderate or property-poor school districts and increased inequality in the state school financing structure, which benefits residents of wealthy school districts. (47 pp.) Online Version:
Order Print Copies (Full Report available) |
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Are Teachers’ Unions Hurting American Education? A State-by-State Analysis of the Impact of Collective Bargaining Among Teachers on Student Performance Authors: F. Howard Nelson (Educational Research Consultant) & Michael Rosen (Economics Department/Milwaukee Area Technical College), with consulting assistance from Brian Powell (Department of Sociology/Indiana University) Date: October 1996 This study demonstrates that collective bargaining is not responsible for poor student performance. In fact, in states with high levels of teacher unionization, student scores on standardized tests are higher than in states with low levels of teacher participation in collective bargaining or meet-and-confer activities. (24 pp.) Online Version:
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