I posted a series of links to Colorado's TABOR experience (Taxpayers Bill of Rights) here. One of the articles I linked to demonstrates the root cause of TABOR type laws: "The problem: From 1983 to '92, spending by Colorado state government rose by 97%, while inflation rose 29.7% and the state's population increased by 10.4%".
I think it's critical for the Madison School District to publish detailed revenue and spending data over the past decade as part the upcoming referendum process. As far as I can tell, Madison School spending was $194M in 1994 and grew to $307M+ in 2004 with roughly a similar number of students. I'll post the actual year to year numbers, as I asked for here, once we obtain them....
More than three of every four school districts paid their superintendents more in 2003-'04, when measured against what the average teacher was paid, than they did in the 1995-'96 school year, according to a Journal Sentinel analysis of data reported to the state.I wonder what the data looks like around Madison?In addition, with perks such as payments to tax-sheltered annuities added in, fringe benefits for superintendents in about half the five-county Milwaukee area districts have increased at a higher rate than their teachers' benefits. But while rising costs for teachers' health insurance and pensions have strained contract negotiations, escalating superintendent benefits have gotten little attention.
All of this has happened despite a provision in state law that requires school boards to restrict compensation raises for school administrators to 3.8% or the same percentage increase given to teachers the prior year.
Since the law was enacted in 1993, the Legislature has approved enough loopholes that the law can be largely ignored. There also is apparently no oversight other than local school boards and their voters.
"I mean, so what? So you break the rule," said Roger Danielsen, a member of the Waukesha School Board, which approved a 15.9% salary increase for its superintendent this year. "I don't think there's any enforcement, although we're trying to stay true to the (teachers') package."