Phelps: Let’s use simple math to help schools – higher state aid, lower property taxes

With another 72 school referendums on the April ballot, Christian Phelps and other Assembly Democrats seek to put $1.3 billion of the budget surplus into public schools.

The Wisconsin Assembly may be done meeting for the year, but Democrats say the Republican leadership should come back to Madison and pass a $1.3 billion bill that uses simple math to reduce local property taxes.

“When the state pays its fair share, property taxes stay down,” said Rep. Christian Phelps (D-Eau Claire) and other Democratic co-sponsors. “It’s that simple.”

Phelps and his colleagues say they are trying to reduce the need for ongoing growth in school referendums, which is whenschool districts ask local residents to increase their own property taxes to make up for a lack of general state aid from the Legislature. 

Instead, Phelps and others point to a state budget surplus that was revised in January to be sharply higher than previously expected: with a year-end balance in the state’s general fund of around $2.4 billion. 

“While Speaker [Robin] Vos and Assembly Republicans pack up and head home early, we know that there is still work to be done,” said Phelps, with the support of Democratic lawmakers, in a statement announcing the bill. “All session long, Wisconsinites have been asking for more funding for our schools and action to lower property taxes. We have a straightforward solution: pick up the tab for constitutionally-mandated public school services, and meaningfully keep down local property taxes without further shortchanging our communities.”

Vos ended the Assembly session in February, shortly after Democratic Gov. Tony Evers asked in his State of the State address for lawmakers to allocate $450 million out of the surplus for education.

“Our proposal increases general school aid paid by the state, using just some of the surplus funds at our disposal,” Phelps stated. “By doing so, we project the state can deliver serious relief to property taxpayers who have been footing the bill left to them by years of Republican budgeting.”

Public education advocates have repeatedly noted the Wisconsin Legislature’s failure to have general school aid keep up with inflation ever since Republicans took control of the assembly and senate 15 years ago. 

They also note the explosive expansion of voucher school programs that are funded by skimming off the top of the total state aid that would have gone to public schools—amounting to around $700 million in taxpayer-funded vouchers this school year. Taxpayers don’t see the breakdown on property tax bills, only a single dollar amount that many assume goes entirely to their local public school district. For several years, Republicans have rejected Democratic bills (and local schools’ requests) that would separate the voucher cost on property tax statements. Now local governments are taking it upon themselves to increase transparency of voucher costs, with the Eau Claire City Council last week becoming the latest to adopt the measure.