MADISON - Assembly Republicans, including Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, will announce education reform legislation at 9 a.m. Monday in the Assembly Parlor at the Capitol.
The legislation will include an effort to control property taxes as well as make changes to student assessment policies to improve accountability in student testing.
Davis, who is the ranking Republican on the Assembly's Education Committee, wouldn't give out much information about the legislation before Monday's press conference. However, Davis said he and his colleagues are concerned the elimination of the Qualified Economic Offer (QEO), which guarantees teachers an increase in wages and benefits of at least 3.8 percent, will lead to higher property taxes.
The QEO, which went into effect in 1993, was taken out of the state budget in 2009.
Davis said the Democrats also want to allow school districts to exempt such things as transportation and safety from the revenue caps, which would also increase school spending.
"My concern is that school district expenses will rise so much it will mean higher property taxes," Davis said.
The revenue caps limit the amount of money districts can collect for each student from state aid and property taxes. The caps were put in place several years ago to hold down property taxes.
Wisconsin ranks 15th in the amount of money it spends on education, Davis said. What he and his fellow Republicans want to do is close the gap between school spending and revenue.
"That gap drives schools to referendum," Davis said.
The legislation will include an effort to control property taxes as well as make changes to student assessment policies to improve accountability in student testing.
Davis, who is the ranking Republican on the Assembly's Education Committee, wouldn't give out much information about the legislation before Monday's press conference. However, Davis said he and his colleagues are concerned the elimination of the Qualified Economic Offer (QEO), which guarantees teachers an increase in wages and benefits of at least 3.8 percent, will lead to higher property taxes.
The QEO, which went into effect in 1993, was taken out of the state budget in 2009.
Davis said the Democrats also want to allow school districts to exempt such things as transportation and safety from the revenue caps, which would also increase school spending.
"My concern is that school district expenses will rise so much it will mean higher property taxes," Davis said.
The revenue caps limit the amount of money districts can collect for each student from state aid and property taxes. The caps were put in place several years ago to hold down property taxes.
Wisconsin ranks 15th in the amount of money it spends on education, Davis said. What he and his fellow Republicans want to do is close the gap between school spending and revenue.
"That gap drives schools to referendum," Davis said.