Milwaukee School Board Votes to Increase Property Taxes

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Milwaukee School Board members voted 5-4 on Tuesday to raise the property tax to the limit set by state law, a move supported by dozens of speakers who opposed the possibility of more cuts to district classrooms.

After more than four hours of testimony and discussion, the board majority voted to adopt Superintendent William Andrekopoulos’ plan, which would cover $9 million in expenses for about 1,700 students the district hadn’t expected to enroll.

But rather than increase taxes by 13.6% as Andrekopoulos proposed, board members Terry Falk, Michael Bonds, Jennifer Morales, Tim Peterson and Peter Blewett voted to tax to the revenue limit, an increase of 14.6% over last year, and to use the additional $2.5 million in tax revenue for plans including expanding staffing in early childhood classrooms, expanding drivers education and paying for all juniors to take the ACT.

Tuesday’s decision by a committee made up of all board members goes to a final board vote Thursday.

Hundreds of people packed the central office auditorium to urge the board to raise the property tax levy as high as the state allows and to battle legislators in Madison to change the way Milwaukee schools are funded.

I wonder how much the hundreds of people who packed the auditorium to urge the board to increase property taxes to the limit pay in property taxes themselves.

...Andrekopoulos emphasized what he called the flawed way the schools are funded. More than 20% of his proposed property tax levy would go to the voucher program, district officials said.

“The funding system for Milwaukee Public Schools is broken,” Andrekopoulos said, prompting a burst of applause from the audience.

Nearly all speakers favored a tax increase steeper than what Andrekopoulos had suggested — a $143 increase for the owner of a home valued at $150,000, rather than a $130 increase over last year’s taxes.

But David Riemer, a one-time county executive candidate, disagreed. He urged the board not to raise the property tax levy by more than 4%.

“Most of the people who live in Milwaukee are poor, near poor or middle class,” Riemer said. “This is the worst possible time to impose a substantial increase in their already high school-property tax.”

Andrekopoulos is ticked off that 20% of the proposed increase would go to the voucher program, so he calls the funding of MPS broken.

I think MPS is broken. Why not provide more students with the opportunity to participate in the School Choice program?

Taxpayers should not be pouring more money into failing MPS schools.

Furthermore, who is funding the schools? Who is assuming the burden?

According to Riemer, "Most of the people who live in Milwaukee are poor, near poor or middle class."

Low income people aren't footing the property tax bill increase.

This is going to hit the middle class hard.

Reform is desperately needed. Accountability is desperately needed.