Original Post:JS Online
By Erin Richards
Among the country's largest metropolitan districts, Milwaukee Public Schools maintained its status as fourth-highest in per-pupil spending in 2011, while Wisconsin also ranked in the top third of states that spent the most per student that year.
And while per-pupil spending in MPS and in Wisconsin increased between 2010 and 2011, average per-pupil spending nationwide dropped — marking the first decrease in per-student public education spending since 1977, according to a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The national data lags behind the current environment in Wisconsin, where education spending was cut dramatically as part of Gov. Scott Walker's 2011-'13 budget. The effect of those cuts — and whether that brings Wisconsin in line with what other states have done — won't be seen until this time next year, when the Census Bureau releases comparisons for student spending in the 2012 fiscal year.
Essentially, the latest report shows that most other states were cutting education spending before Wisconsin started doing the same.
"From what I can gather here, there was all this uproar after Governor Walker's first budget and all the school cuts, and these data seem to show that in a sense, we were a bit late to the party," Dale Knapp, research director for the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization, said Tuesday.
Backers of public education may argue in favor of Wisconsin holding out on cutting spending on students.
The new figures released Tuesday show MPS spent $14,244 per student in 2011, up from $14,038 in 2010, when the district was also ranked fourth-highest in per-pupil spending among the nation's 100 largest districts by enrollment.
Wisconsin spent $11,774 per student on average in 2011, up 3.6% from $11,364 in 2010, according to the report.
On average nationwide, the 50 states and the District of Columbia spent $10,560 per student in 2011, down half a percent from $10,615 per pupil in the 2009-'10 school year.
The current spending figures place Wisconsin 16th out of 50 states and the District of Columbia in terms of per-pupil spending, up from the previous year's rank of 18th nationwide.
The data used in the report, Public Education Finances: 2011, came from a census of all 15,345 school districts in the country, according to the report.
The report reflects the last year of former Gov. Jim Doyle's state budget, where districts' revenue limit authority — or the total amount districts could boost property taxes and state aid per student — was limited to an increase of $200 per pupil.
Under Walker's 2011-'13 budget, education spending was cut by $834 million. To restrict property taxes from replacing the drop in school aid, the governor's budget reduced districts' revenue limit authority by 5.5%, meaning a drop of about $550 in the per-pupil revenue limit.
MPS officials have taken issue with the census figures, which show a more inflated picture of per-pupil spending because they include many federal dollars that may not be going toward the district's classroom operations.
For example, MPS officials said Tuesday that they believe the census figures include federal dollars that went toward providing services to low-income students in nonpublic schools, such as the private schools participating in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, or voucher program.
"This raises questions about whether the number can be used to accurately reflect how much money MPS spends on its own students," MPS spokesman Tony Tagliavia said in a statement.
"In addition, because of the voucher program, we are likely providing services to more nonpublic students than a typical large urban district," he added.
Tagliavia also called the 2010-'11 data "significantly outdated" and not relevant to any current conversations about school funding. He also noted the district made significant changes to its budget after the reduction in state funding.
The census report notes that spending on adult education in Wisconsin cannot be separated in the figures. Other states have other caveats.
MPS prefers to look at per-pupil spending in terms of only state aid and property taxes for each pupil — leaving out the federal dollars. Tagliavia noted that for 2012-'13, that was $6,442 per student in general aid and $3,473 per student in property taxes, adding up to a combined $9,915 per pupil.
Knapp, from the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, said the census figures are still the best national figures available to compare school systems to one another.
And he said the 2012 numbers will be even more interesting.
"We know Wisconsin had a big cut then, so we'll be able to see that compared to what other states were doing in 2012," he said. "Were other states cutting some more, or were they leveling off?"
Showing posts with label Milwaukee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Milwaukee. Show all posts
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Cross Lutheran Church, One Wisconsin Now, League of Young Voters support vote fraud
Original Post: JS Online
Groups protest voter fraud ads
Community leaders gather Tuesday in front of a billboard at W. Morgan Ave. and S. 22nd St. to protest billboards that they say are meant to suppress the minority vote.
Billboards aim to keep minorities from polls, they say
Several community groups Tuesday condemned billboards throughout Milwaukee that warn "Voter Fraud is a Felony," saying they are an attempt by right-wing sources to intimidate and suppress minority voting.
At a press conference in front of one of the billboards at S. 22nd St. and W. Morgan Ave., the groups called on Clear Channel Outdoor, the owner of the billboards, to take down the ads and disclose who paid for them.
The bottom of the billboards, which show people behind jail bars, the words "We Voted Illegally" and the penalty for voting illegally, disclose only that the billboards were paid for "by a private family foundation."
"We're tired of these tactics and signs like these that keep various groups from participating," said Jayme Montgomery-Baker, state director of the League of Young Voters. "There are so many other issues we should be talking about, like jobs, education and health care."
The Rev. Ken Wheeler, pastor of Cross Lutheran Church and a member of the Milwaukee Innercity Congregations Allied for Hope, or MICAH, said: "The message is offensive and implicitly and explicitly creates a climate of fear in the African-American community that was historically denied justice and discouraged from voting."
Scot Ross, director of the liberal One Wisconsin Now, said that after a 20-month investigation the state attorney general prosecuted only 11 people for voter fraud. He said the issue of voter fraud had been used by Republicans and the right wing to discourage college students and minorities from voting.
"This is not the Republican Party of Wisconsin, and we have no idea who or what group is behind these billboards, or what their intentions are," said Andrew Welhouse, communications director for the Republican Party in Madison.
Although he hadn't seen the billboards, Welhouse said it appeared to him that the message was clear: When a vote is illegally or fraudulently cast, it takes away a legal vote, and that can be important in a close election.
"We want to make it easy to vote and hard to cheat, especially in this election when so many are fired up," he said.
Mark Rausch, vice president of real estate and public affairs for Clear Channel Outdoor in Pewaukee, said the 12-by-25-foot billboards are placed primarily along surface streets and the Milwaukee area.
The first purchase of 50 were put up Sept. 13 and ran for four weeks.
The second purchase of 25 started running Oct. 4 and will run until election day, he said.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Milwaukee now fourth poorest city in nation
Original Post: JS Online
City's poverty rate in 2009 rises to 27%, Census says
By Bill Glauber and Ben Poston of the Journal Sentinel
Milwaukee emerged as America's fourth-most impoverished big city in 2009, as the Great Recession rippled across the city and state, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures released Tuesday.
Milwaukee's poverty rate reached 27%, up from 23.4% in the previous year. Only Detroit (36.4%), Cleveland (35%) and Buffalo (28.8%) had higher poverty rates among cities with populations greater than 250,000. Milwaukee was ranked 11th in 2008.
An estimated 158,245 Milwaukeeans lived in poverty last year. For a family of four with two adults and two children, the poverty threshold was an annual income of $21,954.
What's more, nearly 4 in 10 children in Milwaukee were considered poor, meaning an estimated 62,432 children lived in poverty last year, up from 49,952 in 2008.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, a Democrat who is running for governor, said the poverty numbers "are unacceptable and should be of concern to everyone in the community and the state."
"They obviously are in part a result of the global economic downturn which has disproportionately affected lower incomes," he said. "But it has also sent lower middle-class people into poverty as well. It explains why we're looking so aggressive to create more jobs, tackle the issues of education, workforce development and transportation."
Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, the Republican candidate for governor, said the "anti-business" policies of Democrats Barrett and sitting governor Jim Doyle have directly affected "the poverty levels in Milwaukee and cities across our state."
"As governor, I'll work to get government out of the way so we can help struggling families and bring 250,000 jobs to Wisconsin," Walker said in a statement.
Barrett disputed Walker's assertion and said, "I have never seen any signs that he is interested in addressing the poverty issues in our community, period."
He said that jobs provide the best remedy for alleviating poverty and added that he would prefer the issue not be politicized. "I wish this is one (issue) we could reach across the aisle and work together," Barrett said.
Michael Bonds, president of the Milwaukee School Board, said he was not surprised by the newest poverty figures.
"I think we're at a critical point when we're starting to see some of the broader things in the community impacting students," he said.
"Not only do schools have to deal with traditional education, but now they also have to provide supports that were traditionally provided by other agencies, because those institutions are also facing financial challenges," he added.
Bonds said he doesn't see any quick-fix to bring children out of poverty in Milwaukee.
"Some areas of the city, you see African-American unemployment reaching 60% to 70%," he said.
Marc Levine, executive director of the Center for Economic Development at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, said the latest census data reflect the city's lack of job growth.
"Our analysis of employment data shows that Milwaukee has had among the worst job creation records of any big city in the U.S. for over a decade, so it is not surprising that poverty numbers have worsened, especially during the worst recession since the Great Depression," Levine said.
Hard times didn't hit just in Milwaukee.
Real median household income in the state declined between 2008 and 2009 - decreasing by 3.8% from $51,942 to $49,993.
Poverty also surged statewide from 10.4% to 12.4% in 2009. There were an estimated 570,583 people in poverty in the state in 2008 and 683,408 people in poverty in 2009. Nationally, poverty increased from 38.3 million people in 2008 to 42.8 million in 2009.
Ken Taylor, executive director of the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families, labeled the poverty numbers as "brutal" and said they "confirm our worst fears about the reality of the recession on kids."
"The idea that what happens in Milwaukee doesn't influence Ozaukee County is a fallacy," he said. "We're all affected across the state by the challenges in Milwaukee."
In the suburbs outside Milwaukee, the poverty rates were much lower, led by Waukesha County (4.8%) while Ozaukee (5.3%) and Washington (5.4%) counties were not much higher. The poverty rates in those counties all increased at least 1 percentage point.
The results come from the American Community Survey, which provides a snapshot of the nation's socioeconomic, housing and demographic characteristics.
Later this year, the Census Bureau will release the first results from the 2010 Census, the complete count of every person in the country.
Erin Richards of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.
City's poverty rate in 2009 rises to 27%, Census says
By Bill Glauber and Ben Poston of the Journal Sentinel
Milwaukee emerged as America's fourth-most impoverished big city in 2009, as the Great Recession rippled across the city and state, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures released Tuesday.
Milwaukee's poverty rate reached 27%, up from 23.4% in the previous year. Only Detroit (36.4%), Cleveland (35%) and Buffalo (28.8%) had higher poverty rates among cities with populations greater than 250,000. Milwaukee was ranked 11th in 2008.
An estimated 158,245 Milwaukeeans lived in poverty last year. For a family of four with two adults and two children, the poverty threshold was an annual income of $21,954.
What's more, nearly 4 in 10 children in Milwaukee were considered poor, meaning an estimated 62,432 children lived in poverty last year, up from 49,952 in 2008.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, a Democrat who is running for governor, said the poverty numbers "are unacceptable and should be of concern to everyone in the community and the state."
"They obviously are in part a result of the global economic downturn which has disproportionately affected lower incomes," he said. "But it has also sent lower middle-class people into poverty as well. It explains why we're looking so aggressive to create more jobs, tackle the issues of education, workforce development and transportation."
Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, the Republican candidate for governor, said the "anti-business" policies of Democrats Barrett and sitting governor Jim Doyle have directly affected "the poverty levels in Milwaukee and cities across our state."
"As governor, I'll work to get government out of the way so we can help struggling families and bring 250,000 jobs to Wisconsin," Walker said in a statement.
Barrett disputed Walker's assertion and said, "I have never seen any signs that he is interested in addressing the poverty issues in our community, period."
He said that jobs provide the best remedy for alleviating poverty and added that he would prefer the issue not be politicized. "I wish this is one (issue) we could reach across the aisle and work together," Barrett said.
Michael Bonds, president of the Milwaukee School Board, said he was not surprised by the newest poverty figures.
"I think we're at a critical point when we're starting to see some of the broader things in the community impacting students," he said.
"Not only do schools have to deal with traditional education, but now they also have to provide supports that were traditionally provided by other agencies, because those institutions are also facing financial challenges," he added.
Bonds said he doesn't see any quick-fix to bring children out of poverty in Milwaukee.
"Some areas of the city, you see African-American unemployment reaching 60% to 70%," he said.
Marc Levine, executive director of the Center for Economic Development at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, said the latest census data reflect the city's lack of job growth.
"Our analysis of employment data shows that Milwaukee has had among the worst job creation records of any big city in the U.S. for over a decade, so it is not surprising that poverty numbers have worsened, especially during the worst recession since the Great Depression," Levine said.
Hard times didn't hit just in Milwaukee.
Real median household income in the state declined between 2008 and 2009 - decreasing by 3.8% from $51,942 to $49,993.
Poverty also surged statewide from 10.4% to 12.4% in 2009. There were an estimated 570,583 people in poverty in the state in 2008 and 683,408 people in poverty in 2009. Nationally, poverty increased from 38.3 million people in 2008 to 42.8 million in 2009.
Ken Taylor, executive director of the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families, labeled the poverty numbers as "brutal" and said they "confirm our worst fears about the reality of the recession on kids."
"The idea that what happens in Milwaukee doesn't influence Ozaukee County is a fallacy," he said. "We're all affected across the state by the challenges in Milwaukee."
In the suburbs outside Milwaukee, the poverty rates were much lower, led by Waukesha County (4.8%) while Ozaukee (5.3%) and Washington (5.4%) counties were not much higher. The poverty rates in those counties all increased at least 1 percentage point.
The results come from the American Community Survey, which provides a snapshot of the nation's socioeconomic, housing and demographic characteristics.
Later this year, the Census Bureau will release the first results from the 2010 Census, the complete count of every person in the country.
Erin Richards of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.
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