WASB to consider support for 1 percent sales tax
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — The Wisconsin Association of School Boards will consider whether to support a resolution asking state legislators for a 1 percent sales tax devoted to school funding at the annual convention in January.
The one-cent sales tax will be the first resolution considered out of the 10 resolutions that have been reviewed virtually for the convention, said Ken Neuburg, the Colfax Board of Education’s representative who will be voting on the resolutions, at the school board’s December 21 meeting.
Last year the proposal for a resolution supporting a 1 percent school sales tax was turned down by the policy committee, he said.
Delegates tried to get it on the table for discussion, but it was rejected. This year it will be the first resolution, and it is sure to be highly debated, Neuburg said.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, delegates for the more 400 school boards in the state will be voting virtually to avoid a large gathering that could potentially spread the virus to those in attendance.
The Iowa legislature has approved a 1 cent sales tax for school funding for four years, said William C. Yingst Jr., district administrator.
A sales tax would be more fair than the property tax, and it would cut down on the number of referendum questions in the state, he said.
According to the resolution, WASB “supports the implementation of a new statewide one-cent (one percent) sales tax to help public school districts build, maintain, and upgrade facilities, upgrade district technology infrastructure, software, and teacher training related to technology and help lower property taxes for Wisconsin taxpayers.”
The resolution goes on to say, “Supporters of this resolution argue that providing revenue to schools through a sales tax increase has the benefits of reducing the dependency on the property tax and including out-of-state visitors in sharing in the cost through sales tax collections attributable to tourism. Other states, including the neighboring states of Iowa and Illinois, have implemented ‘one-cent sales tax for schools’ programs.”
Act 31
Another resolution Neuburg said he was interested in relates to Act 31 and the core curriculum for Native American studies.
According to the resolution, which is fourth on the list of resolutions, WASB “calls upon the (Department of Public Instruction) to provide sufficient curricular resources and professional development opportunities for teachers to assist all school districts in fulfilling the requirements of 1989 Wisconsin Act 31, including initiatives that promote increased student academic competency regarding 1989 Wisconsin Act 31.”
The resolution goes on to say, “In the 1989-91 biennial budget bill (1989 Wisconsin Act 31), the Legislature enacted a set of instructional mandates colloquially referred to as ‘Act 31’ that generally require all public school districts to provide instruction on the history, culture and tribal sovereignty of Wisconsin’s eleven federally-recognized American Indian nations and tribal communities. Some argue that school districts are not meeting their Act 31 obligations.”
Broadband
The second resolution on the list pertains to broadband access.
According to the resolution, WASB “supports legislation to expand affordable, reliable, quality broadband access for all Wisconsin communities, including funding for school districts to ensure broadband access and devices for students and staff in their schools, school districts and communities.”
The resolution goes on to say, “The experience of school closures last spring laid bare significant inequities in students’ ability to access broadband internet connections in their homes and outside of classrooms. A survey of Wisconsin school districts released in June 2020 by the Wisconsin Education Media & Technology Association (WEMTA) reported that 64 percent of Wisconsin school districts said parts of their district lack broadband or cellular access, and 37 percent said they were unable to provide hotspots or Wi-fi cards … (the problems with broadband) hamper students’ ability to work away from school and receive an equitable education that is on a par with that received by their peers in areas where quality broadband is readily available.”
Enrollment
The third resolution deals with “enrollment hold harmless.”
According to the resolution, WASB “supports legislation to create a hold harmless exemption in district memberships calculations used for revenue limits and per pupil categorical aid to mitigate the effects of enrollment fluctuations caused by extraordinary public health emergencies or other disasters or emergencies that disrupt large portions of the state.”
The resolution goes on to say, “Student counts on the third Friday in September, the second Friday in January and in summer school can significantly impact a school district’s revenue limit, per pupil aid, and general aid distribution. It is widely assumed that COVID-19 and its impacts have caused fall 2020-21 student counts to decrease, and in fact caused 2020 summer school enrollment to decrease, leaving school districts to face negative fiscal consequences in 2020-21 and beyond.”
Special education
The fifth resolution is related to special education flexibility to address emergencies.
According to the resolution, WASB “supports legislation that would grant state and federal flexility for districts in providing educational services, particularly special education services, to students during school years disrupted by extraordinary public health emergencies or other emergencies that affect large portions of the state or the nation. The primary goal of this flexility should be to enable schools to bring students to the level of achievement they would have been at had the extraordinary emergency not occurred.”
Assessment
The sixth resolution pertains to assessment and report card waivers.
According to the resolution, WASB “supports that public school districts should continue to assess student growth and performance using assessments and measures approved locally. However, the WASB also supports legislation specifying that in any school year during which a public health emergency occurs that affects large portions of the state, a law requiring assessments to be administered annually to pupils attending school in a public school district, independent charter school, private choice school, or special needs scholarship program school would not apply, and the DPI would be prohibited from publishing school and school district accountability reports in the following school year.”
Retired teachers
The seventh resolution deals with rehiring retired teachers and staff.
The resolution would repeal and recreate an existing resolution (4.37) as follows, “The WASB supports legislation to remove any impediments to rehiring retired teachers and staff. Policies and standards for rehiring retired staff should be set by each local school board.”
The resolution notes, “Rehiring retired employees can reduce a district’s costs and provide the district with employees who have experience and may have connections to students, other staff and the district.”
Superintendent evaluations
The eighth resolution pertains to superintendent evaluations.
According to the resolution, WASB “supports confidential superintendent evaluations to allow school districts to continue to improve by providing a confidential framework for the leader of the district to improve, therefore allowing or helping the district to improve. Disciplinary records are separate and distinct from evaluations and would not be considered confidential under this resolution.”
The resolution notes, “Proponents of this resolution argue that from a public policy standpoint, a board might be more candid or more frank if (board members) knew that the evaluation would remain confidential and would not be subject to release under a public records request. Proponents also note that in private employment, it is rare for employees to be able to obtain access to the evaluation records of their supervisors.”
School safety
The ninth resolution deals with comprehensive school safety legislation and repeals and recreates an existing resolution (6.115).
The newly created resolution would read, “The WASB supports comprehensive school safety legislation including: new, permanent, and consistent funding that allows districts to enhance safety and security by supporting one-time and ongoing costs, including, but not limited to, security improvements to infrastructure; hiring (school safety officers); coordinating with community agencies; training for staff and students about threats to safety, restorative practices, de-escalation techniques and anti-bullying; mental health services; equipping school crisis teams to react to threats; and allowing prosecutors to bring appropriate charges against any individual who conveys a threat or false information concerning an attempt to injure or create great bodily harm or threat of to a person on school property, school transportation or at a school event.”
Mascots
The tenth resolution pertains to school district mascots, logos and imagery.
According to the resolution, “The WASB encourages school boards and districts to identify imagery, practices or processes that may create a school environment that is not safe and welcoming to all students, regardless of their race, ancestry or ethnicity, and to initiate discussions at the district level that would lead to the retirement of mascots, logos, imagery, practices or processes that may create a hostile, divisive or unwelcoming school environment.”