Let’s be honest here

by J. Patrick Reilly

Across Wisconsin, the math simply isn’t adding up for local schools — and taxpayers are feeling the strain.

In communities from rural districts to growing towns, property owners are being asked to carry more of the burden to keep classrooms open, buses running and teachers in place. When school referendums appear on the ballot year after year, it is not because districts are careless with money. It is because the funding system is no longer keeping pace with reality.

Under the state’s school finance system, revenue limits and aid formulas often fail to match rising costs. Health insurance premiums climb. Transportation expenses increase. Special education services require more resources. Yet the amount districts can raise without voter approval remains tightly capped. When state aid fails to cover the gap, the responsibility shifts to local taxpayers.

The result is a cycle that puts everyone in a difficult position. Voters who support strong schools may still struggle with higher property tax bills. Seniors on fixed incomes worry about affordability. Young families balancing mortgages and childcare costs feel the squeeze. At the same time, schools face staffing shortages, larger class sizes and cuts to programs that once enriched students’ lives.

Public education is not a luxury. It is a shared investment. Strong schools protect property values, attract employers and prepare the next generation of workers and citizens. When the state underfunds that system, it creates inequity between communities with differing property wealth and shifts a statewide responsibility onto local shoulders.

This is not a partisan issue. It is a practical one. If the state sets revenue limits and determines aid formulas, then the state must ensure those formulas reflect current costs and commitments. Special education reimbursement, in particular, remains far below actual expenses, forcing districts to pull money from general funds to cover mandated services.

Taxpayers deserve relief. Schools deserve stability. And students deserve opportunity.

The solution begins in Madison. Lawmakers must modernize funding formulas, increase special education reimbursement and provide predictable, sustainable aid so districts are not forced to rely so heavily on recurring referendums.

Communities will always play a vital role in supporting their schools. But they should not have to carry the load alone. When the state steps up, local taxpayers can breathe easier — and schools can focus on what they are meant to do: educate the next generation.