Republican State Senator Tom Tiffany says says he does not support proposed legislation that would restrict school districts choosing when to hold a referendum.
Speaking Wednesday before the Rhinelander Area Retired Educators Association, Tiffany was asked about a bill by Senator Duey Strobel which would only allow school funding referendums to be held during general elections and no sooner than two years apart...
"....I do not support that bill as its drafted. Maybe it's appropriate to put some limitations in place. I don't think this bill does it. I have some real reservations...."
Northwoods educators have complained for years that the state's school funding formula punishes districts that have high property values but limited enrollments. Tiffany says that is likely to continue. Tiffany says the formula benefits most school districts in southern Wisconsin where the majority of legislators live and they don't want to change it. The formula provides state money to districts based on key factors including enrollment and property values. He says for decades that has been debated, but it likely won't change.
He did say northern legislators were able to get more sparcity aid and money for transportation...
"....schools that have very few kids per square mile there's a sparcity aid...then we added a second thing...high cost transportation aid. So we got some schools additional revenue because they have to travel so far to pick up these kids...."
Some of the area school districts are spending more than a million dollars a year to transport students.
