MONROE - Area school districts will have to do more with less in the wake of the state budget.
Sen. Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center, said local school districts shouldn't have lost state aid when the budget was signed June 29.
"I thought protecting education should have been the top priority in the budget, but instead, students are shortchanged with less state aid," Schultz said.
State aid is important to students and the Legislature should have taken that seriously, he added.
Rep. Steve Hilgenberg, D-Dodgeville, said property values and enrollment played key roles in the amount of state aid school districts receive. He said he wants to look at the formula that determines state aid and see what changes can be made.
Hilgenberg said he was bothered by the differences in school funding, but he said Schultz's comments are typical of a person in the minority party. Democrats make up the majority of the State Senate.
"He doesn't have to say what he would do. That's what happens when you're in the minority party," Hilgenberg said.
Local school districts will lose money in the 2009-10 budget, over the 2008-09 budget. Darlington will lose $266,000, Pecatonica will lose about $98,000, Argyle will lose around $49,000 and Black Hawk will receive $332,000 less.
Black Hawk Superintendent Charles McNulty said the cuts couldn't have come at a worse time for his district.
"We've already negotiated contracts," he said. "There isn't an opportunity to reduce costs."
McNulty said the school board knew there was a chance the district could lose some of its state aid and took precautions. The board decided not to buy a school bus this year and also put off some maintenance projects.
"This puts a burden on local school districts," he added.
McNulty said the money lost represents a "sizable" amount of the state aid the district planned to receive. Black Hawk receives about $3.5 million from the state, he said.
Monroe is one of the few districts that will receive more money under the new state budget.
The school district will receive $163,000 more in state aid in 2009-10 than it received last year. The district will receive about $18.5 million in 2009-10, up from about $18.3 million in 2008-09.
Monroe Superintendent Larry Brown was not available for comment Friday.
Some districts could be eligible for federal stimulus money, Gov. Jim Doyle said recently. He announced several state school districts, including the Albany school district, will receive money from the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act for new construction and renovation projects in the form of a special bond.
The Albany school district will recieve $718,000.
Unlike typical bonds, the stimulus bonds provide federal tax credits, which relieves the school district of interest payments.
In April, Albany residents, by a vote of 539 to 257, approved the district's request to borrow $2 million to make improvements to the school's energy system and the roof. The referendum will allow the district to replace the flat roof on the school with a slanted roof. It will also allow the district to replace the school's 45-year-old boilers with a new heating system.
Sen. Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center, said local school districts shouldn't have lost state aid when the budget was signed June 29.
"I thought protecting education should have been the top priority in the budget, but instead, students are shortchanged with less state aid," Schultz said.
State aid is important to students and the Legislature should have taken that seriously, he added.
Rep. Steve Hilgenberg, D-Dodgeville, said property values and enrollment played key roles in the amount of state aid school districts receive. He said he wants to look at the formula that determines state aid and see what changes can be made.
Hilgenberg said he was bothered by the differences in school funding, but he said Schultz's comments are typical of a person in the minority party. Democrats make up the majority of the State Senate.
"He doesn't have to say what he would do. That's what happens when you're in the minority party," Hilgenberg said.
Local school districts will lose money in the 2009-10 budget, over the 2008-09 budget. Darlington will lose $266,000, Pecatonica will lose about $98,000, Argyle will lose around $49,000 and Black Hawk will receive $332,000 less.
Black Hawk Superintendent Charles McNulty said the cuts couldn't have come at a worse time for his district.
"We've already negotiated contracts," he said. "There isn't an opportunity to reduce costs."
McNulty said the school board knew there was a chance the district could lose some of its state aid and took precautions. The board decided not to buy a school bus this year and also put off some maintenance projects.
"This puts a burden on local school districts," he added.
McNulty said the money lost represents a "sizable" amount of the state aid the district planned to receive. Black Hawk receives about $3.5 million from the state, he said.
Monroe is one of the few districts that will receive more money under the new state budget.
The school district will receive $163,000 more in state aid in 2009-10 than it received last year. The district will receive about $18.5 million in 2009-10, up from about $18.3 million in 2008-09.
Monroe Superintendent Larry Brown was not available for comment Friday.
Some districts could be eligible for federal stimulus money, Gov. Jim Doyle said recently. He announced several state school districts, including the Albany school district, will receive money from the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act for new construction and renovation projects in the form of a special bond.
The Albany school district will recieve $718,000.
Unlike typical bonds, the stimulus bonds provide federal tax credits, which relieves the school district of interest payments.
In April, Albany residents, by a vote of 539 to 257, approved the district's request to borrow $2 million to make improvements to the school's energy system and the roof. The referendum will allow the district to replace the flat roof on the school with a slanted roof. It will also allow the district to replace the school's 45-year-old boilers with a new heating system.