School Officials Learn About
Wisconsin Adequacy Plan
Five reform plans jostled for center stage January 9, 2003
at the statewide telecast of a school-funding symposium that
originated on the MATC Campus in Madison.
The Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators
(WASDA) and the Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials
(WASBO) sponsored the symposium, which was broadcast to 600
people at 16 remote sites. Presentations were directed at
school administrators, school board members, and legislators
in order to supply with them with factual information about
the school funding plans currently being discussed.
Partners in the Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools
(WAES) who helped develop the Wisconsin Adequacy Plan
presented to a reactor panel and to the sites around the state.
Representing WAES were David Smette, district administrator
for the Marshfield School District; Erin Gauthier-Green, school
business official from the Greendale School District; and
Jack Norman, research director with the Institute for Wisconsin's
Future.
Alternate proposals were introduced by Doug Haselow, Association
for Equity in Funding; Sen. Mike Ellis (R-Neenah); Reps. Michael
Lehman (R-Hartford) and Wayne Wood (D-Janesville); and Pam
Rewey representing the Wisconsin Association of School Boards.
Members of the reactor panel reviewed each proposal based
on a set of criteria they had established in advance, listened
to the presentations January 9, and asked questions. The "Reactor
Panel Report" is available online at www.wsaa.org,
the website of the Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance.
According to the reactor panel, "a goal [of the plan]
would be to achieve an adequacy based allocation for each
school district, which would allow the district to reach the
educational standards established by the state of Wisconsin."
Although the panel noted that "it will be a challenge
to adopt a plan that would require funding above the current
level," members said the plan put together by WAES partners
"has the potential to provide a certain level of equity":
- Vertical equity because additional funding
is provided for higher-needs student populations; and
- Horizontal equity because there is foundation
of funding for all students.
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