Yet Another Measure Threatens the Common School Fund

Senate Bill 95, a school reform bill, threatens the Common School Fund by eliminating the current 25 percent limit on the amount of CSF money that may be used to purchase school library computers and related software.

The full Senate is scheduled to vote on this bill at 11:00 a.m. today, Thursday, October 20.

Please contact your senator right away and request an amendment to SB-95 that would remove the provisions in the bill that relate to the Common School Fund.  Thank you for your help!
Points to raise:

• The common school fund is the major source of school library resources, both print and electronic. These resources are critical to a quality education for our students to prepare them for work and college.
• It is important to uphold the constitutional intent of the Common School Fund for its intended purposes. School libraries in Wisconsin continue to be a cornerstone of a strong educational system.
• Direct them to the updated Common School Fund recommendations and clarify what the funds can be spent on. This recently updated list takes into account the need for the purchase of learning resources in various formats. For example, Kindles are actually allowable outside of the 25 percent cap.
• Cite the research that libraries staffed with qualified library professionals with strong collections of materials raise student achievement. Qualified library professionals are able to determine the appropriate resources for their library within the revised CSF standards.

HOW TO CONTACT YOUR SENATOR
BY PHONE: Call the legislative hotline toll-free at 1-800-362-WISC (9472) (266-9960 in the Madison area) to leave a message for your senator.  This hotline can also tell you who your State Senator is.

BY E-MAIL or PHONE:  Visit http://www.legis.state.wi.us/ and click on "Who Represents Me?"  After entering your address, your representative and senator will appear along with a phone number or link to email them.  If you send e-mail, include your name and mailing address in the body of the message, or your concerns may not be recorded.

Generally, senators' e-mail addresses use the following format:
Sen.Lastname@legis.state.wi.us  (example: Sen.Smith@legis.state.wi.us)
--Allison Kaplan and Kathy Sanders, Legislative Committee Co-chairs, Wisconsin Educational Media & Technology Association

Common School Fund Threatened: Contact Legislators!

Legislation related to nursing home regulation, introduced as companion bills AB-302 and SB-212, will reduce funding available to the school libraries, if passed. The Wisconsin Educational Media & Technology Association (WEMTA) says the legislation could cost the Common School Fund (CSF) at least $1.5 million per year because it diverts fines and forfeitures on nursing homes from the CSF. 

The Assembly Committee on Aging and Long Term Care will vote on AB-302 on Thursday, October 20, at 9:00 a.m. in room 400 Northeast of the State Capitol. The Senate Committee will meet that same date and time in room 330 Southwest.

If the bills are approved by committee, they go straight to the full Assembly and Senate.It is very important to reach out to legislators in both the Assembly and Senate, and if you are represented by someone on the committees who vote on October 20, your call is essential.

Assembly Committee members are as follows: Representatives Dan Knodl (R-Germantown, District 24), Warren Petryk (R-Elva, District 93), Karl Van Roy (R-Green Bay, District 90), Kathy Bernier (R-Chippewa Falls, District 68), Peggy Krusick (D-Milwaukee, District 7) and Elizabeth Coggs (D-Milwaukee, District 10).

Senate Commitee members are: Senators  Pam Galloway (R-Wausau, District 29) Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin, District 28), Leah Vukmir (R-Wauwatosa, District 5), Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee, District 3), Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse, District 13)

Key points to address with legislators:

• Nursing home regulation reform is a worthy goal, but such reform should not penalize school libraries and the school children who count on them. 

• Any proceeds from fines or forfeitures should go into the Common School Fund. Though unintended, this bill costs the CSF $1.5 million per year.

• We respectfully request that AB-302 and SB-212 be amended to require that all fine and forfeiture proceeds collected thereto be deposited into the Common School Fund.

You can email your legislators directly from the WLA Legislative Alert center, or get their telephone numbers there. Type in your home address, and it will tell you who represents you and direct your message appropriately.

K-12 School Mandate Relief Bill Fails in Committee, Preserves Common School Fund Purpose

On Thursday, June 9, Assembly Bill 130, failed to pass committee by a vote of 5-6. Referred to by its supporters as a K-12 "mandate relief" bill, it would have, among other changes, removed the 25 percent limit on computer purchases with Common School Fund (CSF) proceeds. Current law requires schools districts to spend the CSF proceeds on materials and instructional resources for the library, except that up to 25% can be spent on school library computers and related software. One concern expressed by school librarians and others was that some districts would appropriate too much for computers and other hardware at the expense of educational content for those devices.

Voting against the bill: Representatives Steve Nass (R-Whitewater), Evan Wynn (R-Whitewater), Sondy Pope-Roberts (D-Middleton), Christine Sinicki (D-Milwaukee), Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh), and Fred Clark (D-Baraboo).

Reports are that there was significant discussion about the Common School Fund provision, with Representative Dean Knudson (R-Hudson) suggesting he might draft an amendment to the bill to move the cap from 25% to 50%. Wynn stated that he would not vote for the bill on the floor unless an amendment was added to protect the Common School Fund.

 

The Senate version, SB 95, was voted out of committee by a vote of 4-3 earlier this week.  

Potential Change to Common School Fund Spending Raises Concerns

A bill touted as a K-12 "mandate relief" includes changes in the way Common School Funds can be spent. The bill (SB 95) eliminates the current 25 percent limit on the amount of money a school library receives from the Common School Fund to purchase school library computers and related software. In other words, the entire CSF allocation could be used to purchase devices rather than the information resources needed for student learning; e.g., the school librarian is required by administration to purchase new computers but then cannot afford to purchase access to research databases.

The Assembly Education and Senate Education Committees will hold a joint hearing on the draft bill next Monday, May 16, 10:00 a.m. in Room 411-S State Capitol. If your legislator is a member of one of these committees, please call him or her to to voice your concerns.

Edited May 17:
A Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel article published May 16 summarized the hearing, or listen to the entire hearing on Wisconsin Eye.