Walker's one time "tools" gone, School Districts left to deal with Dramatic Funding cuts and Layoffs.

I've been saying all along, the Act 10 savings enjoyed by schools was a ONE TIME cure for what ailed districts. Now, it’s back to reality and those same massive Act 10 funding cuts, but with no "tools."

jsonline: With cuts, new rules, school districts face tough choices: The process is one example of how spring planning for next year's school budgets has taken on added complexities this year.

Many districts were able to offset losses in state aid under the first year of the legislation, known as Act 10, by switching to lower-cost health plans and imposing higher pension and health benefit contributions … Now in the second year of the legislation, districts have to find other ways to offset reduced revenue. "Once you find that initial savings, it's not the type of tool that really allows you to save every year," said Eric Runez, superintendent of the Whitewater Unified School District. Two Waukesha County school districts went to voters to offset their looming shortfalls - without success. 

That includes Mukwonago High School, which I recently visited for a Lego Robotics competition, that advertised on a big sign; McDonald’s Mukwonago High School. Even with corporate funding, they’re short money and are part of those failed Waukesha referendums.

Across the state on April 3, operational referendums appeared on the ballot for voters in 16 school districts. Eleven passed, according to results from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

That was an amazing number of approvals. People in those districts know something is wrong. The only one that doesn’t is Scott Walker, who signed Act 10 into law. He brags that there were few layoffs, but just wait:

Barry Forbes, a staff attorney at the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, said there's some concern that more school employees could be cut this year than last year because school boards entering year two of Act 10 have less room to make cuts. "Many districts have exercised those tools and that's a well they can't go back to," Forbes said. "We can't go from asking employees to pay 12% of their health insurance to 20% and 30%."

The problem is, many voters won't know what's coming by the time they go out to vote on June 5.