Saturday, June 30, 2012
By Hillary Gavan hgavan@beloitdailynews.com
While many other districts are getting their state aid cut for the 2012-2013 school year, the Beloit and Beloit-Turner school districts are getting increases.
According to Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) data, Beloit will receive 3.62 percent more in state aid, an increase of $2,069,957. Beloit-Turner will receive 6.59 percent more in state aid, an increase of $566,001. Clinton will receive a 2.28 percent increase, an increase of $171,701.
However, the Parkview School District will receive 7.87 percent less in state aid, a decrease of $496,173.
Almost two-thirds of Wisconsin’s 424 school districts will receive less general state aid in the 2012-2013 school year compared to last year. There are 155 districts which will increase $100,505,529 in state aid, while there are 267 school districts which will see decreases in state aid by $79,443,087. There are two districts with no change.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported the state will provide $4.29 billion in general aid to schools in the second year of Gov. Scott Walkers biennial budget, a small increase over what the state budget set for aid last year, $4.26 billion.
“In July DPI releases an estimate of state aid for next year. The aid calculation is based upon the best information available today. So we won’t know our real aid amount until it’s certified by DPI on Oct. 15. That’s when they use our actual data, verified by school district auditors and the state,” said School District of Beloit Executive Director of Business Services Janelle Marotz.
Marotz said the district anticipated an increase in state aid for next year when its budget was adopted in October of 2011.
The Beloit School District understood, she said, that the state would cover approximately 64 percent of its costs leaving the district to cover only 36 cents of most dollars spent. Therefore, the district planned to spend funds on one-time costs this year such as a textbook adoption and roof replacement, and other items to promote additional future savings such as the wellness clinic.
“It is important to know that revenue limits are determined by each district individually and are not dependent on changes in other districts,” Marotz added.
She said state equalization aid is meant to make up the difference between a district’s actual tax base and the state guaranteed tax base.
“There is an inverse relationship between equalization aids and property wealth so districts such as Beloit with a low valuation per pupil receive the highest percentage of state aid,” Marotz said.
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