Saturday, October 15, 2011

Quick addendum on Elmbrook Schools

I mentioned last month about how Elmbrook Schools (which I attended from grades K-8) shouldn't be held up by Sykesists as an example of "Walker's plan [is] working," but I didn't realize how right I was until I read yesterday's release of school aid figures.

As you may have seen yesterday, the vast majority of state schools had significant drops in aid from the state under Walker's budget. Some of this may have been made up on a one-time basis by Walker's anti-teacher "tools", but certainly not made up to the level of previous investment, and little is said about the extra damage that is coming next year when those reduced numbers don't change.

But reading the actual aid tables to each district gives an even more interesting detail. Check out Elmbrook on page 3. While most schools are getting cut 9-10%, Elmbrook's aid WENT UP 4.88%! Well no wonder they could cut their school levy! If you cut teacher's take-home pay and get more money from the state, I would hope you would be able to cut property taxes. OK, so the rest of the state gets screwed because of this largesse and good luck trying to get someone to teach in your bedroom community, but hey, ya saved a few bucks on your property taxes, and that's all life is about, right Brookfield/Elm Grove?

Except that even Elmbrook isn't unscathed. It just voted this week to close Hillside Elementary School due to budget issues and declining enrollment, and might close a second. Guess those "tax-saving tools" don't matter much when people are fleeing your culturally dead area for places with more life....or places that are hotter suburbs.

And folks, this is only the beginning. RECALL how Wisconsin's top-flight education system has been battered by this adminsitration in the name of funneling a few bucks to their school privatization contributors, and get even over these next 7 months.

H/t Capper at Cognitive Dissidence.

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