| Wisconsin
Costing Out | Useful
Resources
Historical Background
In Kukor v. Grover, 436 N.W.2d 568 (1989),
the Wisconsin Supreme Court held that the then-current
state education finance system did not violate the uniform
education or equal protection provisions of the state
constitution. The court observed that plaintiffs complained
of inequities among school districts in the state's
system of school aid distribution but had not alleged
that this system caused their districts to fall short
of state educational standards.
In Vincent v. Voight, 614 N.W.2d 388 (2000),
the state supreme court held that Wisconsin students
have the right to "an equal opportunity for a sound
basic education [which] will equip students for their
roles as citizens and enable them to succeed economically
and personally" and defined that right to include
"the opportunity for students to be proficient
in mathematics, science, reading and writing, geography,
and history, and . . . receive instruction in the arts
and music, vocational training, social sciences, health,
physical education and foreign language." However,
the court also concluded that the plaintiffs had not
presented evidence that students were being denied this
opportunity.
Costing
Out
In 2002, the Institute
for Wisconsin's Future issued "Funding
our Future: An Adequacy Model for Wisconson School Finance,"
which proposes a 32% increase
in school funding based on a Costing-Out
Study.
A team led by Dr. Allan Odden of the University of
Wisconsin-Madison released a cost
study in March 2007. The study, “Moving From
Good to Great in Wisconsin: Funding Schools Adequately
And Doubling Student Performance,” was prepared
for a state policy task force that was comprised of
policymakers, educators, and other state citizens and
stakeholders, and it recommended a nine percent increase
in school spending. The study has been criticized for
underestimating the amount of additional funding that
is needed, as its nine percent recommendation is among
the lowest of any cost study performed in any state.
Useful Resources
"Are
School Revenue Limits Limiting Learning?" (Institute
for Wisconsin's Future 2001).
Last updated, March 2008 |
