AB506: Bill Text

LRB-3126/3

PG/JK/TKK:cjs:jf

2007 - 2008 LEGISLATURE

2007 Assembly BILL 506

September 14, 2007 - Introduced by Representatives Huebsch, J. Fitzgerald and Rhoades.

AB506,1,8 An Act to amend 79.14, 115.341 (1), 121.58 (2) (a) 4., 121.905 (1), 121.91 (2m) (e) (intro.), 121.91 (4) (f) 1., 121.91 (4) (f) 1m. b. and 121.91 (4) (f) 1m. c.; and to create 20.255 (2) (dn), 115.28 (44) and 121.91 (8) of the statutes; relating to: state finances and appropriations for state school aids for the 2007-09 fiscal biennium, school district revenue limits, school safety grants, the pupil transportation reimbursement rate, the school breakfast reimbursement rate, county and municipal aid, the school levy property tax credit, and making appropriations.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

education

This bill repeals and recreates the appropriation schedule in chapter 20 of the statutes as it relates to s. 20.255 (1) (b) and (2), stats., thereby setting the appropriation levels for school aids for the 2007-09 fiscal biennium.

The bill also makes the following changes in the laws relating to primary and secondary education:

1. Current law limits the amount that each school district can increase per pupil revenue over the per pupil revenue of the prior school year. The limit does not apply to school districts in which the amount of per pupil revenue is less than a statutory revenue ceiling, currently set at $8,400. This bill increases the per pupil revenue ceiling to $8,700 for the 2007-08 school year and to $9,000 for any subsequent school year.

2. This bill increases the annual reimbursement rate for school districts that transport pupils more than 12 miles to school from $180 per pupil so transported to $220 per pupil so transported.

3. This bill authorizes the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to make grants to reimburse school districts for costs allowable under the federal Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act but not paid under that act. If funds in any fiscal year are insufficient to pay all claims, the funds are prorated among eligible school districts.

4. Currently, if a school district's enrollment is declining, its revenue limit is increased by the amount of additional revenue that would have been calculated had the decline in enrollment been 25 percent of what it was. This bill increases the district's revenue limit by the additional amount that would have been calculated had there been no decline in enrollment.

5. The bill provides that if a school district's revenue limit, after consideration of the per pupil adjustment and low revenue ceiling but before any other adjustments, is less than the district's base revenue from the previous school year, the district's initial revenue limit would be set at the prior year's base revenue.

6. Under current law, the state reimburses school boards and private schools 10 cents for each breakfast served under the School Breakfast Program. This bill raises the reimbursement rate to 15 cents.

shared revenue

The bill repeals and recreates the appropriation schedule in chapter 20 of the statutes as it relates to s. 20.835 (1) (db), stats., thereby setting the appropriation levels for county and municipal aid payments for the 2007-09 fiscal biennium.

School levy tax credit

Under current law, the total amount of the school levy property tax credit that is distributed each year to municipalities, and ultimately to taxpayers, is $593,050,000. Under the bill, the total amount of the school levy property tax credit that is distributed to municipalities in 2009 and in each year thereafter is $793,050,000.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB506, s. 1 Section 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes, as it affects 20.255 (1) (b) of the statutes, is repealed and recreated to read: - See PDF for table

AB506, s. 2 Section 2. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes, as it affects 20.255 (2) of the statutes, is repealed and recreated to read: - See PDF for table

AB506, s. 3 Section 3. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes, as it affects 20.835 (1) (db) of the statutes, is repealed and recreated to read: - See PDF for table

AB506, s. 4 Section 4. 20.255 (2) (dn) of the statutes is created to read:

AB506,6,3 20.255 (2) (dn) School safety grants. The amounts in the schedule for grants to school districts under s. 115.28 (44).

AB506, s. 5 Section 5. 79.14 of the statutes is amended to read:

AB506,6,8 79.14 School levy tax credit. The appropriation under s. 20.835 (3) (b) is $319,305,000 in 1994, 1995, and 1996; $469,305,000 beginning in 1997 and ending in 2006; and $593,050,000 beginning in 2007 and ending in 2008; and $793,050,000 in each year thereafter.

AB506, s. 6 Section 6. 115.28 (44) of the statutes is created to read:

AB506,6,15 115.28 (44) School safety grants. From the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (dn), annually award grants to reimburse school districts for costs allowable under the federal Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, 20 USC 7101 to 7165, but not paid under that act. If the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (dn) in any fiscal year is insufficient to pay all claims under this subsection, the funds shall be prorated among the school districts entitled to the funds.

AB506, s. 7 Section 7. 115.341 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB506,7,2 115.341 (1) From the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (cm), the state superintendent shall reimburse each school board 10 15 cents for each breakfast served at a school that meets the requirements of 7 CFR 220.8 or 220.8a, whichever is applicable, and shall reimburse each governing body of a private school 10 15 cents for each breakfast served at the private school that meets the requirements of 7 CFR 220.8 or 220.8a, whichever is applicable.

AB506, s. 8 Section 8. 121.58 (2) (a) 4. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB506,7,6 121.58 (2) (a) 4. For each pupil so transported whose residence is more than 12 miles from the school attended, $150 $180 per school year in the 2005-06 2006-07 school year and $180 $220 per school year thereafter.

AB506, s. 9 Section 9. 121.905 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB506,7,9 121.905 (1) In this section, "revenue ceiling" means $8,100 $8,700 in the 2005-06 2007-08 school year and $8,400 $9,000 in any subsequent school year.

AB506, s. 10 Section 10. 121.91 (2m) (e) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB506,7,13 121.91 (2m) (e) (intro.) Except as provided in subs. (3) and, (4), and (8), no school district may increase its revenues for the 1999-2000 school year or for any school year thereafter to an amount that exceeds the amount calculated as follows:

AB506, s. 11 Section 11. 121.91 (4) (f) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB506,7,21 121.91 (4) (f) 1. Except as provided in subd. 1m., for the 1999-2000 2007-08 school year or any school year thereafter, if the average of the number of pupils enrolled in the current and the 2 preceding school years is less than the average of the number of pupils enrolled in the 3 previous school years, the limit otherwise applicable under sub. (2m) (e) is increased by the additional amount that would have been calculated had the there been no decline in average enrollment been 25% of what it was.

AB506, s. 12 Section 12. 121.91 (4) (f) 1m. b. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB506,8,3 121.91 (4) (f) 1m. b. For the school year beginning on the first July 1 following the effective date of the school district reorganization, if the number of pupils enrolled in that school year is less than the number of pupils enrolled in the previous school year, the limit otherwise applicable under sub. (2m) (e) is increased by the additional amount that would have been calculated had the there been no decline in enrollment been 25 percent of what it was.

AB506, s. 13 Section 13. 121.91 (4) (f) 1m. c. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB506,8,11 121.91 (4) (f) 1m. c. For the school year beginning on the 2nd July 1 following the effective date of the school district reorganization, if the average of the number of pupils enrolled in that school year and the previous school year is less than the average of the number of pupils enrolled in the 2 previous school years, the limit otherwise applicable under sub. (2m) (e) is increased by the additional amount that would have been calculated had the there been no decline in average enrollment been 25 percent of what it was.

AB506, s. 14 Section 14. 121.91 (8) of the statutes is created to read:

AB506,8,23 121.91 (8) If a school district's initial revenue limit for the current school year, as calculated under s. 121.905 or sub. (2m) (e), whichever is appropriate, before making any adjustments under sub. (3) or (4), is less than the amount determined by multiplying the amount under sub. (2m) (e) 1. by the average of the number of pupils enrolled in the 3 preceding school years, the school district's initial revenue limit for the current school year, before making any adjustments under sub. (3) or (4), is the amount determined by multiplying the amount under sub. (2m) (e) 1. by the average of the number of pupils enrolled in the 3 preceding school years. Any additional revenue received by a school district as a result of this subsection shall not be included in the base for determining the school district's limit under sub. (2m) for the following school year.

AB506, s. 9337 Section 9337. Initial applicability; Public Instruction.