School Funding Issues

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WELCOME
School Funding Issues
The Future of Markesan
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The school district has money problems
Most schools are having similar problems
The School Board, Teachers, and Administration
are trimming the fat and trying to operate
according to state laws, standards, mandates
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State laws made in Madison lack consideration for
thrifty school districts with declining enrollment
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Details are available from the schoolDistrict
Officeor Website
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Property Tax
State Aid
Fees other
Federal Money
Grants
Gifts
The budget process is complex, but available to
all who are interested.
School Budget
Admin.
Buildings
Fuel
Supplies
Teachers
Utilities
Special Ed
Bussing
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The largest expense of the school budget is
salaries and benefits
What are non-payroll expenses?
Markesan (Fund 10) Budget Expenses
Non-payroll expenses 32
Salaries 46
Benefits 22
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Non-payroll expenses32 of Fund 10
Dues Miscellaneous
Board Policy Service/Other Police
Liaison Maintenance Inspection Guidance/Computer O
fficials Maintenance-Building, computer,
etc Employee Travel Postage Shipping Internet Prin
ting/Newsletter Tuition-Open Enrollment, Youth
options CESA Contract
Utilities Telephone Bus Vehicle Fuel Pupil
travel Legal Fees etc Audit Appraisal Training
consulting Assemblies Athletic
Trainer Assessment
Special Education 945,791
85 students
Supplies Texts workbooks Library Comp Software
Multiple Insurances
Vehicle, Equipment
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change of Property Tax on one parcel in the
City of Markesan from 1993 to 2005
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change of School Tax Levy from 2000 to 2005
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2005 District Property Valuation
Increasing Property Values and State Aid are not
the critical issues at this time
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Property Tax
State Aid
Fees other
Federal Money
Grants
Killing Markesan
Revenue Limit
Gifts
School Budget
Admin.
Buildings
Fuel
Supplies
Teachers
Utilities
Special Ed
Bussing
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What is a Revenue Limit?

• The amount of money that can be collected for the
  school budget that comes from property tax and
  state aid
• The limit is set by the state using a formula
  based on past spending of the school, starting in
  1993
• Schools that were thrifty in 1993 cannot keep up
  with increasing costs without cutting major
  programs
• Schools with lavish budgets in 1993 have been
  able stay under their revenue limits by cutting
  luxury programs Markesan never had

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Shared Cost/Member History
395 schools had greater shared cost per student
4440 in 1992-1993 was the 32nd lowest district
of 427
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Shared Cost/Member History
April 7, 1998 Markesan passed a referendum 9.9
Million building debt 500,000 recurring revenue
limit increase
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Markesan Debt Payment Schedule
Interest rate (bonds)
4.5
3.5
3.75
3.75
3.88
4.0
5.0
5.0
5.75
5.0
4.0
4.0
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Shared Cost/Member History
X
Without the new school debt, Markesan would be
spending less than the state average
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Shared Cost/Member History
Only 5 schools in the state had a greater decline
in membership. None of those 5 had lower shared
cost per student in 1993.
30 drop in membership from 93-94 to 2005-2006
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Revenue Limit
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Cuts due to declining revenue limits
See next slide
This blue line reflects increases in costs for
insurance, gas, bussing, heating, electric,
salaries, and other prices which are difficult to
control.
311,000 cut
Total of cuts made
338,000 cut in spending
Millions of Dollars
238,000 cut in spending
200,000 cut in spending
?12,000
?50,000
?114,000
Revenue Limit
?109,000
?49,000
School Years
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Cuts due to declining revenue limits
124,000 cut
451,000
327,000 of savings used to support current
programs
In 2005-2006, we needed to cut 451,000 from the
budget
but we could only find 124,000 of reasonable cuts
so the difference (327,000) was taken from the
district savings account (fund balance)
Millions of Dollars
?12,000
?50,000
?114,000
Revenue Limit
?109,000
?49,000
School Years
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We have trimmed the budget to create a school
that is efficient.
If we continue to make cuts
and whittle away at our programs
we will create a school that is deficient.
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RESOLUTION TO INSURE FISCAL STABILITY FOR THE
SCHOOL DISTRICT passed by the Markesan District
Schools Board of Education June 13, 2006
Be it resolved by the Board of Education of the
Markesan District Schools, Green Lake County,
Wisconsin, that the Board of Education of the
Markesan District Schools develops and implements
a plan to insure fiscal stability for the school
district, the Board of Education accepts its duty
to consider the needs of the students of the
district while continuing to support a strong
curriculum in the areas presently taught in our
schools, continuing to seek cost efficient ways
to invest in our children, and to seek cost
reductions that will not harm our students

• Consider needs of students
• Insure fiscal stability
• Support current curriculum
• Seek efficient investments for children
• Seek reductions that will not harm students

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For Markesan to continue the current level of
quality education
Fix problems in Madison?
The Revenue Limit needs to be increased with a
referendum.
School tax would increase about 150 per year
for a 100,000 property
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For Markesan to continue the current level of
quality education
Fix problems in Madison?
We, the people, must help others understand the
school issues.
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There are two basic ways to motivate people to
make changes
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One way to motivate people is with
FEAR
Markesan
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Dissolution, merging, and school closing may
be seen as scare tactics. However, the cuts
already made are real. More students per
classroom, fewer subjects offered, and reduced
programs services are all affects of revenue
limit inadequacies. The District fund balance
(savings) is very low and will be used up within
2 years without an increase in the revenue limit.
Other schools are failing. It is up to the voters
to decide the fate of the Markesan School
District.
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If Markesan closes, the state will determine new
school boundaries.
The state will determine where our children will
go.
Green Lake
Ripon
Princeton
The state will determine where our school tax
will be sent.
??
Rosendale Brandon
??
??
??
Do you want to send your tax dollars kids to a
district other than Markesan?
Montello
??
??
??
??
Waupun
Pardeeville
Cambria Friesland
Randolph
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Vision of Future Four Years From Now
DESIRE
A better way to motivate people is by creating

• Identify opportunities to increase efficiency
• Continue to seek new funding sources
• Listening Sessions
• Public Input
• Software instead of books (CompassLearning, etc.)
• Capitalize on E-2020 (option for Home School)
• Charter school (Amish)
• Video Classes
• Collaborate with other districts (neighbors,
  CESA, etc)
• Work to change state funding of public schools

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Markesan School Board
Our friends and neighbors
Help your school board by offering your
suggestions and by supporting school activities.
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It is natural for people to have opinions and
questions
I have an idea!
I wonder if..
Why dont we
We may see things differently
I think
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That was a dumb thing to do! They should have
Why dont they
We may disagree on the details
I dont have kids in school. Why should I pay
school tax?
I understand why we need to pay so much for
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If quality education in Markesan is important to
you
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The next school referendum will really ask
Fix problems in Madison?
Do you want to have local control of school
issues your tax dollars?
Vote
or
YES
NO
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Thank You!
Please e-mail questions, comments, or corrections
to MarkesanQuestions_at_HotMail.com or write
to Markesan Questions P.O. Box 614 Markesan, WI
53946