Fixing the School Choice Funding Flaw

Regardless of how you feel about school choice, there is no doubt that Milwaukee property taxpayers get a raw deal by how the program is funded.

You may have heard the argument that it costs less for taxpayers to educate a student enrolled in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) than it does a public school student.  But that really depends on which taxpayers you're talking about.

For state taxpayers, it is a great deal.  For each child in MPS, the state provides $6,059; for each student in a choice school, the state pays $3,576.

For city property taxpayers, it is a lousy deal. For each child in MPS, the city taxpayer provides $1,954; for each child in a choice school, city taxpayers pay up to $2,925 - or $971 more for a child in a choice school than an MPS school.

This math simply doesn't add up for Milwaukee.  And it's no wonder the state legislature is reluctant to change this - the savings from the lower cost per student in Milwaukee means more money is available for students in other parts of the state.

This is just part of the problem; students enrolled in the Choice Program are not even counted for purposes of calculating state equalization aid.

Even though the cost of the Choice Program is supported by Milwaukee taxpayers, the state aid formula treats the students as though they don't even exist.  This portion of the flaw costs Milwaukeeans even more than the first part – causing a loss of millions of dollars each year.

The funding flaw issue hits your wallet -- the average Milwaukee homeowner paid about $200 more in property taxes last year because of the school choice funding flaw.

Milwaukee taxpayers have been promised in the past that this problem would be solved in the state budget. Well, it's crunch time because the state legislature is working on the budget right now.

That is why I've been working to fix the funding flaw. I sat down with numerous stakeholders to develop a plan that would use $19 million in the state budget to fix the formula flaw.

My plan would incrementally increase the state share of the payment for all MPCP students by 5% per year over a four-year time period.  

By the 2010-2011 school year, MPCP students would be funded at 75% -- the same level as state aid for MPS students – and would meet the goals proposed in State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster's budget request.

This is a fair and reasonable solution to a serious problem.  Milwaukee taxpayers don't deserve the short end of the stick.  I urge you to reach out to the leadership of the State Legislature and your representatives, and tell them to fix the school choice funding flaw that hurts Milwaukee property taxpayers.

Speaker Mike Huebsch (R-West Salem)
Wisconsin State Assembly
(888) 534-0094

Rep. Jeff Fitzgerald (R-Horicon)
Majority Leader
Wisconsin State Assembly
(608) 266-2401

Rep. Jim Kreuser (D-Kenosha)
Minority Leader
Wisconsin State Assembly
(888) 534-0064

Sen. Judy Robson (D-Beloit)
Majority Leader
Wisconsin State Senate
(800) 334-1468

Sen. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau)
Minority Leader
Wisconsin State Senate
(608) 266-5660

Mayor, City of Milwaukee