Vote down both spending asks!
Every three years, Madison’s education-industrial complex breaks out the begging bowls for still more money. Never mind that Madison’s public schools are some of the best-funded in the state; school leadership just doesn’t know how to budget.
Posing two referenda, the Madison Metropolitan School District is asking for $507 million for one-time building construction and renovation and for authority to blow past the state’s spending limits by $100 million a year in perpetuity.
• MMSD expends $20,380 on each student, well above the $16,345 average among Wisconsin’s public schools.
• Because Madison taxpayers approved seven referenda over the last 25 years to jack up operating revenue, the Wisconsin Policy Forum finds, “MMSD’s funding has still held up better than school funding across Wisconsin. In 2023, the revenue limit for Madison schools was 17.8% higher than the state average for all districts.”
• In fact, MMSD in 2024 has the second-highest revenue limit per pupil among the state’s 10 largest districts. “Compared to their peers at other large urban districts, MMSD students do not stand out for having higher needs,” according to the WI Policy Forum.
• Madison does have the second-highest share of students learning English and the fourth-highest share of students of color among those ten districts, but enrolled the fourth-lowest rate of economically disadvantaged students and third-lowest rate of students with disabilities, according to Policy Forum authors Jason Stein and Tyler Byrnes.
• Public schools account for 49% of the $7,757 annual property tax for the median Madison residence. If approved, the average homeowner can expect to pay an extra $1,049 in property taxes as the spending is phased in over four years — and forever after.
No belt tightening at MMSD
For $507 million, the district will entirely replace five middle school buildings with new construction. Even the Wisconsin State Journal acknowledges that “The district should have considered combining two schools with low enrollment to save money.” No shinola, Sherlock!
Four of the schools in question — Sennett, Sherman, Toki, and Black Hawk middle schools — operate between 45% and 56% of capacity. Enrollment districtwide has been falling seven straight years; MMSD is down 1,320 students — a 4.8% decline — and is projected to keep falling as singles move into town to take jobs at Epic and families settle in Sun Prairie and Middleton. This is a district that has not rejiggered attendance boundaries in 14 years.
The newspaper says the middle schools are old. But none is older than East high school, built in 1922, or beautiful Randall elementary, built in 1906.
The district has been profligate
MMSD used one-time expiring federal funds to pay nearly 111 educators, despite the drop in enrollment in recent years and the decline in revenues. That cost an additional $12.1 million in 2024. So says the Wisconsin Policy Forum in a detailed examination of Madison school district finances.
For next school year, Madison schools want to add another 107 full- time positions, an increase of 2.6% over last school year that would bring the district’s total positions to 4,192 — the largest number since at least 2013, despite lower enrollment.
The district dipped into its reserves to provide an 8% increase in base wages to teachers and other staff. — 10% when considering staff education and longevity. That was another $12 million. The district is not proposing any changes to health insurance benefits to slow increases in costs. Those costs are projected to rise by $11.7 million, or approximately 18%.
WI Policy Forum warns that if the board approves additional spending for a 4.1% cost-of-living increase in base wages for teachers and other staff, “the budget for 2026 could once again face a shortfall even with additional funds from the referendum!
→ MMSD makes its own case here.
→ On-line sponsored by the school district 6 p.m. Tuesday 10-22-24 REGISTER HERE
→ Live and in color 4:30 p.m. Monday 10-28-24, Doyle Administration Building, 545 W. Dayton St.
Blaska’s Bottom Line: Don’t blame MMSD bean counters at Doyle administration building or even the school superintendent of the moment. The problem is that Madison keeps electing social justice educrats who substitute more money for sound management.
9 responses to “Madison public schools flush with money”
Damn Dave. Where is everyone? Looks like I’m going to have to jump in here and fire these bozos up. Place is quieter than a vegan tail-gate party. You can throw a dozen tomatoes in the air and not hit a soul.
Now I understand where they all are. Sitting at home sending hate mail to Mr. Baier for breaking MAGA code and interviewing Harris. Besides trying to screw up the vote now they want to mess with freedom of the press at Faux news. Rotten Fascists.
“Better To Remain Silent And Be Thought A Fool Than To Speak Out And Remove All Doubt” attributed to A. Lincoln.
The Gotch
If you can get Blaska AND Deke Rivers on the SAME PAGE, you got something!
It gets better.
Kacklin’ Kamala’s date with destiny tomorrow night should make DementiaJoKe’s DISASTER seem like the The Gettysburg Address; heck, despicable Lefty is already making excuses for her.
MONEY QUOTE: (The FOX interview) is AN ACT DICTATED BY CRISIS. If one has ANY DOUBT THAT internal polls, external polls, and basic vibes show HARRIS’ cynical, gossamer CAMPAIGN (is) ON A LOSING FLIGHT PATH, HER DECISION TO HAVE AN INTERVIEW WITH A JOURNALIST WHO MIGHT NOT BE PLANNING TO VOTE FOR HER SHOULD DISPEL IT.” (bolds/caps/italics mine)
Bravo Indigo November Golf Oscar!
Heh! Maybe the Kackler’ll will Kackle that she had a cold…and, and, and, and jet lag…then her dutifully horrified, beta male, ‘nadless hubby can pull a Dr. Shill and run up and console her by saying she did great and The Donald lied.
Ah Lefty; so MUCH panicky terror, so little time!
The Gotch
And tRUMP refuses, interviews, debates, and has rallies where he doesn’t pay his bills. I seem to recall that daily “red wave” prediction you were making.
ERRATUM: If you can get Blaska, Deke Rivers, and Former Mayor BikeShorts all on the SAME PAGE, you REALLY got something!
The Gotch
From neighborsnextdoor (THEY report/YOU decide):
(bolds/caps/italics mine throughout)
“The (deceptively worded) referendum asks: ‘Shall the Madison Metropolitan School District, Dane County, Wisconsin be authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91, Wisconsin Statutes, by $30 million for the 2024-2025 school year; by an additional $30 million for 2025-2026 school year, by an additional $20 million for the 2026-2027 school year; and by an additional $20 million (for a total of $100 million) for the 2027-2028 school year and thereafter, for recurring purposes consisting of operational and maintenance expenses, including for educational programming and employee compensation and benefits?’
“Voters who read this for the first time on election day might conclude they are voting for $100 million spread over four years. How many voters in the voting booth will see through the DELIBERATELY DECEPTIVE LANGUAGE to see that a ‘yes’ vote gives MMSD $270 MILLION MORE OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, AND $100 MILLION IN EACH FOLLOWING YEAR. That is, $870 MILLION 2024-2034, AND $1 BILLION IN THE FOLLOWING YEARS.
“To be clear here is the PATTERN OF EXTRA EXPENDITURES THE REFERENDUM ACTUALLY AUTHORIZES:
$30 million in 2024-2025
+ $60 million in 2025-2026
+ $80 million in 2026-2027
+ $100 million in 2027-2028
“THIS ADDS UP TO $270 MILLION FOR 2024-2028”
MMSD must think the voters are as gullibly INDOCTRICATED as many of the students they’re cranking out.
The Gotch
Excellent point!
[…] authority to exceed state revenue caps by $100 million/year into perpetuity (and beyond!). Like we said 10-15-24, MMSD don’t need the […]