Taxpayer unhappiness with increasing property taxes have prompted changes to Wisconsin's school finance system. In the midst of providing property-tax relief, the new tax base structure remains intact and allows school districts to exceed their revenue limits with a majority vote in districtwide elections. Debate is ongoing. (MLH)

School leaders have joined a six-state effort by the National Governors Association (NGA) aimed at making Advanced Placement (AP) classes more widely available, recruiting nontraditional students to enroll, and working to make sure those students succeed in the college-level courses. Participants say the NGA initiative is showing impressive early…

Wisconsin's guaranteed tax base equalization formula has no direct adjustment for the additional costs of educating poverty level pupils. This paper establishes the need for an adjustment and examines three measures (based on varying poverty definitions) to determine which provides the most equitable funding formula for educating poor children. (9…

This report analyzes the net fiscal impact of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP). The net fiscal benefits of the MPCP have continued to grow. The estimated increase was particularly sharp in FY10, from $37.2 million to $46.7 million. This increase was primarily due to the cut in the voucher amount, while MPS' per pupil revenues continued…

This report lists 11 budgetary principles for higher education institutions, and presents the results of a survey which examined whether the practices of four-year public higher education institutions in California, Florida, Massachusetts, New York, Texas, and Wisconsin followed these precepts during the fiscal problems of the early 1990s. The 11…

This statistical portion of the 1966-1967 annual report on Indian education in the state schools of Wisconsin contains data concerning total enrollment, attendance, number of Indian graduates, expenditures under Johnson-O'Malley contracts, and rate of school taxes. The Indian Education Fund Financial Statement is presented, as well as a…

Reports the results of a case study of the political decision-making process in Wisconsin through which control over educational finance reform was exercised between January, 1972, and August, 1973. (Author)

Describes the Wisconsin Technical College System's special needs staff leadership in supporting transition to technical colleges, increasing funding that colleges receive from the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, and supporting professional development activities for college special needs staff. (SK)

During the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program's (MPCP) 15th year, the statutory cap on voucher enrollment was met: for the first time, the voucher program enrollment surpassed 15% of Milwaukee Public School (MPS) enrollment. Hitting the cap has triggered a heated political debate. Voucher advocates argue that the cap should be lifted, that…

During 1996-97 each of the three branches of Wisconsin State government--the judiciary, the executive, and the legislative--experienced substantial activity regarding educational finance policies. After describing Wisconsin's current school-finance system, this paper examines Wisconsin school finance based on the 1996-97 actions of the judiciary,…

This document describes the Wisconsin law that created new school-district reorganization procedures under which a school district may be created out of a portion or portions of the territory of one or more existing districts. Prior to 1997, a new school district could be created only through the consolidation of two or more existing districts.…

The extent to which state agencies are implementing information systems and analytical methods for budget review are examined. Focus is on 17 states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Trends in budget…

This report provides a performance and financial evaluation of Wisconsin's charter schools. It examines charter schools that were open during the 1997-98 school year, and it includes their educational programs, administrative policies, and enrollments. The report also details program expenditures, student performance, legal issues, and the effects…

There are many reasons a student may become disinterested in academics and many ways they can fail in school and in society. Most educators will quickly admit nothing is more fulfilling than seeing a troubled student succeed in school and earn a diploma. The state of Wisconsin recognized this, a full decade before the No Child Left Behind Act, and…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Bush Budget Proposes Spending Freeze for U.S. Department of Education: Title I, Striving Readers, Statewide Data…