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State
Superintendent
Tony Evers
Superintendent
Tony Evers
Survey data shows effects of cuts to education
MADISON — With 83 percent of school districts responding, survey data gathered this fall shows the vast majority
of students are attending schools that cut staff, meaning there are fewer adults in Wisconsin public schools
helping children learn. Conducted this fall, the survey by the Wisconsin Association of School District
Administrators (WASDA) found a net reduction of 3,368 kindergarten through 12th-grade staff members in
responding districts. This figure matches a recent report by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development
that estimated a loss of roughly 4,000 jobs in K-12 education. Half of responding school districts reported they
buffered staffing cuts with one-time federal stimulus money through the federal Education Jobs Act, funding that
will not be available next year. Two-thirds of responding districts said they expected to make the same or greater
cuts next year.
“Budgets have consequences and the 2011-13 state budget made sweeping changes to funding for public
schools,” said State Superintendent Tony Evers. “It’s no surprise that school districts balanced their budgets; they
always do, even under 18 years of revenue limits. It is clear this year that districts had to cut staff, eliminate vital
support services, and reduce course offerings, narrowing educational opportunities for Wisconsin’s school
children.” The WASDA data showed that
• A much higher number of jobs were lost in the K-12 sector than under prior years of budget cuts. Wisconsin has
1,655 fewer teachers, 172 fewer administrators, 765 fewer aides, and 776 fewer support staff working in schools
in districts responding to the survey. Net cuts were two to three times greater for the current school year than in
2010-11. The 2011-12 staffing cuts were double the combined cuts in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years. Newly
hired teachers and staff are younger and less experienced and have fewer veteran teachers to rely on due to
retirements.
• Four in 10 students attend a district with larger class sizes in grades K-6; 90 percent of students attend a district
that had a net staff loss in one of the four categories surveyed. These cuts mean students have fewer
opportunities to take career and technical education classes. Districts also are offering fewer art, music, physical
education, Advanced Placement, and foreign language classes. Forty percent of students are in districts that
eliminated sections or increased class size for the core subjects of English, mathematics, science, and social
studies.
• Essential support programs were cut, and roughly three in four students attend a district reducing at least one
such program; one in five students attend a district that cut five or more of these programs. The biggest cuts were
to special education programs (100 of responding districts), followed by library and media center staff, reading
coordinators, programs for at-risk youth, and drug and alcohol abuse programs.
“The 2011-13 biennial budget has already had a profound effect on the services delivered to public school
students,” said Miles Turner, WASDA executive director. “A majority of Wisconsin students attend a school district
with fewer teachers, larger class sizes, fewer support programs, and fewer course offerings. Most districts
expect next year’s budget will be worse.”
The survey analysis noted that the 2011-13 state budget cut general school aids by $749 million over the biennium.
The budget also reduced revenue limit per pupil by 5.5 percent in FY12, which translates to $1.6 billion in lost
revenue authority from prior statute for the state’s 424 school districts; eliminated several revenue limit
exemptions such as school nursing, pupil transportation, safety equipment, and funds for school security officers;
and reduced nearly all categorical aids by 10 percent, in addition to eliminating some programs outright.
Evers called for implementation of his “Fair Funding for Our Future” plan to reform the way Wisconsin funds its
schools. “We must stop the erosion of quality documented in the WASDA survey and rebuild Wisconsin’s tradition
of excellent public schools,” Evers said. “We must implement meaningful school finance reform and make a
serious investment in public education.”
MADISON — With 83 percent of school districts responding, survey data gathered this fall shows the vast majority
of students are attending schools that cut staff, meaning there are fewer adults in Wisconsin public schools
helping children learn. Conducted this fall, the survey by the Wisconsin Association of School District
Administrators (WASDA) found a net reduction of 3,368 kindergarten through 12th-grade staff members in
responding districts. This figure matches a recent report by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development
that estimated a loss of roughly 4,000 jobs in K-12 education. Half of responding school districts reported they
buffered staffing cuts with one-time federal stimulus money through the federal Education Jobs Act, funding that
will not be available next year. Two-thirds of responding districts said they expected to make the same or greater
cuts next year.
“Budgets have consequences and the 2011-13 state budget made sweeping changes to funding for public
schools,” said State Superintendent Tony Evers. “It’s no surprise that school districts balanced their budgets; they
always do, even under 18 years of revenue limits. It is clear this year that districts had to cut staff, eliminate vital
support services, and reduce course offerings, narrowing educational opportunities for Wisconsin’s school
children.” The WASDA data showed that
• A much higher number of jobs were lost in the K-12 sector than under prior years of budget cuts. Wisconsin has
1,655 fewer teachers, 172 fewer administrators, 765 fewer aides, and 776 fewer support staff working in schools
in districts responding to the survey. Net cuts were two to three times greater for the current school year than in
2010-11. The 2011-12 staffing cuts were double the combined cuts in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years. Newly
hired teachers and staff are younger and less experienced and have fewer veteran teachers to rely on due to
retirements.
• Four in 10 students attend a district with larger class sizes in grades K-6; 90 percent of students attend a district
that had a net staff loss in one of the four categories surveyed. These cuts mean students have fewer
opportunities to take career and technical education classes. Districts also are offering fewer art, music, physical
education, Advanced Placement, and foreign language classes. Forty percent of students are in districts that
eliminated sections or increased class size for the core subjects of English, mathematics, science, and social
studies.
• Essential support programs were cut, and roughly three in four students attend a district reducing at least one
such program; one in five students attend a district that cut five or more of these programs. The biggest cuts were
to special education programs (100 of responding districts), followed by library and media center staff, reading
coordinators, programs for at-risk youth, and drug and alcohol abuse programs.
“The 2011-13 biennial budget has already had a profound effect on the services delivered to public school
students,” said Miles Turner, WASDA executive director. “A majority of Wisconsin students attend a school district
with fewer teachers, larger class sizes, fewer support programs, and fewer course offerings. Most districts
expect next year’s budget will be worse.”
The survey analysis noted that the 2011-13 state budget cut general school aids by $749 million over the biennium.
The budget also reduced revenue limit per pupil by 5.5 percent in FY12, which translates to $1.6 billion in lost
revenue authority from prior statute for the state’s 424 school districts; eliminated several revenue limit
exemptions such as school nursing, pupil transportation, safety equipment, and funds for school security officers;
and reduced nearly all categorical aids by 10 percent, in addition to eliminating some programs outright.
Evers called for implementation of his “Fair Funding for Our Future” plan to reform the way Wisconsin funds its
schools. “We must stop the erosion of quality documented in the WASDA survey and rebuild Wisconsin’s tradition
of excellent public schools,” Evers said. “We must implement meaningful school finance reform and make a
serious investment in public education.”