SB155: Bill Text

LRB-1740/3

PG:bjk:rs

2009 - 2010 LEGISLATURE

2009 Senate BILL 155

April 6, 2009 - Introduced by Joint Legislative Council. Referred to Committee on Education.

SB155,1,2 An Act to create 121.91 (4) (L) of the statutes; relating to: adjusting a school district's revenue limit for certain school safety expenditures.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill is explained in the Prefatory Note provided by the Joint Legislative Council.

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:

Joint Legislative Council prefatory note: This bill was prepared for the Joint Legislative Council's Special Committee on School Safety. The bill provides an exemption to the current revenue limits applicable to school districts. Current statutory revenue limits restrict the annual increase in a school district's per pupil revenue derived from general school aid, the property tax levy, and computer aid. Revenue limits were imposed beginning in 1993-94. Categorical aid, federal aid, and other sources of local revenue are not subject to the current revenue limits. A school district can receive voter approval through referenda to exceed revenue limits. Local voters must approve the school board resolution supporting inclusion in the district budget of an amount that exceeds the statutory limit. This bill authorizes an increase in the school revenue limit specifically for school safety expenditures. Specifically, the bill authorizes an increase in the current revenue limits in any school district by an amount equal to $100 times the number of pupils enrolled in the school district or $40,000, whichever is greater, for the purpose of covering compensation costs associated with providing security officers in the school district, purchasing safety equipment, or improving school safety.

The increase in the limit applies only if the school board and a local law enforcement agency have jointly developed a school safety expenditure plan that is consistent with the existing statutory school safety plan that covers each school and the school district. Further, the bill requires that the expenditure plan describe the manner in which the additional revenue shall be used, and requires that the school board approve and submit the school safety plan to the state superintendent for the purpose of calculating the school district's revenue limit. The bill defines "local law enforcement agency" to mean a governmental unit of one or more persons employed full-time by a city, town, village, or county for the purpose of preventing and detecting crime and enforcing state laws and local ordinances, employees of which unit are authorized to make arrests for crime while acting within the scope of their authority. In addition, the bill provides that any additional revenue received by a school district as a result of an expenditure shall not be included in the base budget for determining the school district's limit under the statutes for the following year.

The revenue limit adjustment would first apply to the calculation of a school district's revenue limit for the 2009-10 school year.

SB155, s. 1 Section 1. 121.91 (4) (L) of the statutes is created to read:

SB155,2,6 121.91 (4) (L) 1. In this paragraph, "local law enforcement agency" means a governmental unit of one or more persons employed full-time by a city, town, village, or county in this state for the purpose of preventing and detecting crime and enforcing state laws or local ordinances, employees of which unit are authorized to make arrests for crimes while acting within the scope of their authority.

SB155,3,2 2. The limit otherwise applicable to a school district under sub. (2m) in any school year is increased by an amount equal to $100 times the number of pupils enrolled in the school district or $40,000, whichever is greater, for the purpose of covering compensation costs associated with providing security officers in the school district, purchasing safety equipment, or improving school safety. The increase in the limit under this subdivision applies only if the school board and a local law enforcement agency have jointly developed a school safety expenditure plan, consistent with the school safety plan under s. 120.12 (26), that covers each school in the school district and that describes the manner in which the additional revenue shall be used, and the school board approves and submits the school safety expenditure plan to the state superintendent for the purpose of calculating the school district's revenue limit.

SB155,3,5 3. Any additional revenue received by a school district as a result of subd. 2. shall not be included in the base for determining the school district's limit under sub. (2m) for the following school year.

SB155, s. 2 Section 2. Initial applicability; Public Instruction.

SB155,3,8 (1) School safety measures; revenue limit adjustment. This act first applies to the calculation of a school district's revenue limit for the 2009-10 school year.

SB155,3,9 (End)