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March 21, 2007

Testimony to the Joint Finance Committee, Co-Chairs Rhoades and Decker
by Jean Damm, LWV Columbia/Sauk Counties

Thank you for the opportunity to speak today.

I speak on behalf of the 1,500 members of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, in 22 chapters through out the state. While the League will be submitting a comprehensive statement about funding government, I wish to speak to the issue of K-12 funding specifically.  I sit on the League’s Legislative committee and hold the K-12 Education portfolio, which means I follow legislation concerning K-12 public education.

We support all of the items in Governor Doyle’s proposed education budget.

Clearly the Governor and League members share a commitment to Wisconsin’s future by ensuring outstanding public education for all our youth. This budget provides immediate, although temporary relief to local school districts.

Missing from this budget is money to revise the school funding formula. We support Assembly Joint Resolution 35, which 6 members of this committee have signed. The current formula is failing our children and making the referendum a way of life for local school districts. We request school finance reform legislation with funding support, which takes into account the cost of educating all children to meet state proficiency standards.

The membership of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin supports a system of elementary and secondary education which includes:

1. retaining substantial program and personnel responsibilities in the local district.

2. a system of financing which ensures that a child’s opportunity for a good education is not limited by the fiscal ability of the local district and that the state will assume a significant amount of educational financing, with a reduced level of local property taxes.

3. a system of financing which promotes equality in educational opportunity with emphasis on instructional cost and adjusted funding for students with special educational needs.

Thank you.