Community Issues

School Funding

A viable public school system is a key component of a strong and vibrant community. Waukesha has long been known as a community with an excellent public school system. 0ver the past several years the Waukesha School District has been making significant budget cuts.  How much does Waukesha spend compared to other districts?  How do Waukesha students compare? Why is there a funding issue? Arm youself with the facts! 

There are many sources of information available. Visit the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction website.

Basic Facts

1. Waukesha School District Mill Rate
The mill rate has declined from $10.46 in 2000-01 to $7.78 in 2006-07. Waukesha ranks in the lowest 25% of all K-12 districts in the state. Click here for more information.

2. Total Spending Per Student
Waukesha spends $10,577 per student in total. This is $502 less than the average for all K-12 districts in the state of Wisconsin. Click here for more information.

3. Educational Spending Per Student
Waukesha spends 89.6% ($9,480) of the total spending per student directly on education.  This is 5.6% higher than the state average. Click here for more information.

4. Standardized Test Scores
Waukesha consistently exceeds the state average on the WKCE test.  The districts students combined scores (all grades) beat the state average in every tested catagory in the most recently released test results from the fall of 2006. Click here for more information.

5.  State Support
The State of Wisconsin has committed to 66% of public school funding. Waukesha has never received over 45% of it's funding from the state.  Click here for more information.

6.  The Qualified Economic Offer (QEO) and Spending Limits
Teachers salaries and benefits can grow 3.8% per year, but the amount the district the can spend per student is capped at a level dictated by the state and it's revenue limit formula. What are the implications of this situation and how is it affecting Waukesha? Click here for more information .

7.  Teachers Salaries and Benefits
How do teacher salaries and benefits in Waukesha compare to other districts? Click here for more information.

8.  Administration Salaries and Benefits
How do administration salaries in Waukesha compare to other districts? Click here for more information.

Newsletters
Waukesha Forward Newsletter Volume 1 Number 1 July 2007