As politicians gear up for the upcoming election, the Green Bay Press-Gazette is asking candidates for Wisconsin's 2nd Assembly District to address some of the most pressing issues facing Wisconsin legislators. One of those issues, of course, is the state's school funding policies.
Q: "What is your position regarding possible changes to the state’s school funding policies and formulas?"
Rep. Frank Lasee, R-Bellevue: The current mix of general state taxes paying for two-thirds of our schools and the other third paid by the local taxpayer is fair and should be maintained. It allows for property tax relief and for some level of local input and control. Most of our area schools are getting about two-thirds state funding now, some a bit more. I support continuation of the revenue controls that give local taxpayers a say over major spending proposals and keeps our schools on a reasonable budget. It has helped keep taxes down over time and allowed a reasonable growth in school spending.
Democratic challenger, Ted Zigmunt: I believe school fund formulas need to be changed to help schools with declining student enrollment, and the Legislature needs to start this discussion in 2009. I am not sure any new plans will be enacted until the state’s economy starts to improve. I favor abolishing the QEO (Qualified Economic Offer); this would give employees of the school district and the communities the option to bargain between themselves to develop benefit packages. We need to get school officials and educators involved in these discussions so that all school districts succeed. We also need to educate the public about school funding
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