These weekly updates are to inform those interested in public education in Mineral Point what is happening that may impact school stakeholders. These updates are designed to be informative, factual, and non-partisan.
Additional information can be found from the Wisconsin Association of School Boards at: https://wasblegupdate.wordpress.com/
Legislative Update 12/4/15
1. Dec. 2: The U.S. House of Representatives approved S. 1177, the Every Student Succeeds Act, by a vote of 359-64. The Senate may vote on the bill as early as next Monday. Assuming Senate passage (highly likely), the legislation will be forwarded to President Obama for his signature. S. 1177 is a compromise, uniting all but extremists on the right and the left in support of the manner in which it modifies No Child Left Behind. The National School Board Associations says, “NSBA with and through its state school boards association members, coupled with the grassroots efforts of our Federal Relations Network (FRN), remained steadfast in advocating for a modernized education law that affirms the importance of local governance, protects federal investments for Title I for disadvantaged students, and prevents the diversion of public tax dollars for private use.”
2. Nov. 24: Property taxes on median-valued homes in Wisconsin will likely go up this year, according to revised estimates by the state Legislature’s nonpartisan budget office. While the increase would be modest, it would negate the property tax cut that Gov. Scott Walker called for when he introduced his budget and touted frequently after he signed it into law. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) estimated in July that property taxes on a typical Wisconsin home would go down by $1 this fiscal year. In a letter to lawmakers late last week, the Fiscal Bureau revised that estimate to a $16 increase.
3. Nov. 24: Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel clarified that the state Department of Justice (DOJ) would not defend school districts sued for implementing a transgender bathroom policy proposed by state Rep. Jesse Kremer (R-Kewaskum) and State Sen. Steve Nass (R-Whitewater).