Average Voter Comments On Madison Schools

A friend wrote me a note a couple weeks ago with a line that made me laugh.  The reason it made me chuckle was that it was so darn true.

I swear they take the tv reporters down to see the same goddamn 1912 boiler in some school every five years.

After the news today of another $84 million needed in five years for maintenance it seems that reporters will be given another tour in the coming weeks…..of…..would you believe…..?

The most pressing item in this category is the boiler at the building that houses Marquette Elementary School and O’Keeffe Middle School, Kass said. It must be replaced this summer, regardless of any other decisions the board makes about maintenance spending, he said.

I know that I speak for a lot of city residents who are both concerned and interested in maintaining  a sound school system, but also mindful that there seems to be a lack of accountability and common-sense use with the taxes that are paid to the district.  We are as determined to see our schools shine and the test scores elevated as the ones who seem to gasp the loudest when any type of cut is proposed for the schools. 

When I read the story today about the past history of maintenance in the district it made me want to hold someone accountable for the failures of the system.  But the smoke and mirror approach to almost every aspect of the Madison School District leaves the average voter angry and confused.  That is not the way to run a successful school district.

The news story continued with this.

The district has a history of slipping behind in repairs, then asking residents for help. A 1996 maintenance referendum for $200 million over 20 years failed, but voters approved a 1999 maintenance referendum for $20 million over five years.

Voters re-upped for another five years and $20 million in 2004, but the last of that money runs out June 30.

In 1995, a panel appointed by the School Board recommended a maintenance funding level of 2 percent of the replacement value of all district facilities. At current replacement costs, that would mean annual maintenance spending of about $15.6 million.

The district falls far short of that. It is spending about $9 million this year, but that includes $5 million from the 2004 referendum. Next year, without referendum money, the district likely will spend about $4 million on maintenance, or a little over 1 percent of its regular operating budget, said Erik Kass, assistant superintendent for business services.

The story goes on to note that this budget woe for maintenance is on top of the $30 million shortfall that the school baord is now trying to fix.

There is wiggle room in the $83.7 million figure. It is based on a worst-case scenario in which projects are bid individually. The district may be able to save millions of dollars by grouping projects, according to the report.

Regardless, the news comes at a poor time for the district. The School Board is in the midst of discussing how to close a nearly $30 million hole in next year’s budget.

The board so far has voted to exercise $11.7 million in taxing authority. It will decide in coming weeks whether to address the remaining $18.1 million budget shortfall through cuts, additional property taxes or a combination of the two.

While it seems easy to address these matters with more taxes (and in some cases more taxes might be warranted) there is a natural tendency to look first to the citizens for the cash then to the places in the budget where cuts could take place, and real education not undermined.  As my friend wrote in his note to me there is only so much wiggle room in the budgets of the tax-payers.

Private sector people are struggling, the state employes, (largest group of district taxpayers) are taking furlough days and paying more for their insurance, county employes the same (not city though) but we’re just supposed to see our school taxes go up like we’re in the middle of a boom.

There is also a lot of frustration over the ways the Madison School District allows some policies to be constructed that have real economic impact for the voters that might he changed in light of the needs we all confront.

I think the Madison school district, like most school districts, are divorced from reality when it comes to fiscal matters.  Just look at health insurance.  The Madison school district has a sweetheart deal with WPS (on whose board John Matthews sits) and the district pays a lot more for their plan than for the HMOs that the district also offers.  Teachers pay no more, if anything.  Same thing in Milwaukee with different insurance co’s. 

With the state, if we want to get WPS and no HMO restrictions, it costs a lot more for the employe. 

But it’s out of the question to asks the same for the school district.  And when the incompetent board did propose it, they said any savings would go to salary increases.

Today we go to the polls and elect a new member to the school board.  But I think at the end of the day regardless of who prevails there will still be a longing among the electorate for a more open and honest dialogue about the state of the schools, and the need for some real changes.