Today the state Senate met in floor session and took up and passed two pieces of legislation of interest to school leaders. Senate Bill 395 related to the low revenue ceiling and Senate Bill 83 related to posting referendum interest estimates on the ballot.
SB 395: School Revenue Ceiling
Under current law, the per pupil revenue ceiling is $11,000 in the 2023-24 school year and each school year thereafter. Current law also provides that, during the three school years following a school year in which an operating referendum fails in a school district, the school district’s revenue ceiling is the revenue ceiling that applied in the school year during which the referendum was held. The bill eliminates the provision under which a school district’s revenue ceiling is the revenue ceiling from a previous school year because an operating referendum failed in the school district.
The WASB supports this legislation.
The Senate approved the bill on a vote of 31-1, with only Sen. André Jacque (R-DePere) voting against. The bill now heads to the state Assembly where the education committee has not voted out the bill yet. It is important to contact your state Representatives to urge that they follow their Senate colleagues and support the bill.
SB 83: Posting Accrued Interest Estimates on the Ballot
Under current law, whenever a municipality, county, or school district must hold a referendum seeking voter approval for issuing bonds, the referendum question must include a statement of the purpose for which bonds are to be issued and the maximum amount of the bonds to be issued. Under this bill, the statement included with the referendum question must also provide the estimated amount of the interest accruing on the amount of the bonds, along with the interest rate. If the interest rate is a variable rate, the statement must also specify the amount of the interest accruing on the amount of the bonds calculated using the lowest rate during the term for which the rate is applicable and the amount of the interest accruing on the amount of the bonds calculated using the highest rate during the term for which the rate is applicable.
The WASB opposes this legislation because posting an estimate of the accrued interest on the ballot could open up a district to legal action from a constituent if the estimate is too far off from the final amount.
The Senate approved the bill on a vote of 22-10. The bill now heads to the state Assembly where the education committee has not voted out the bill yet. We urge members to ask their state Representatives to not support this unworkable legislation.
