De Pere Increases Spending, Increases Taxes.

From the Press Gazette:

The De Pere School Board on Friday adopted a $37.4 million budget for the 2009-10 school year.

That's up about 5.35 percent from $35.5 million for 2008-09.The board also adopted a total tax levy of $18.5 million, which includes both general fund and debt service levies. That's up about 3.36 percent from $17.9 million for 2008-09.

At this point, someone more prone to indignant ranting on their blog might wonder exactly what the extra spending is going towards?

In case the school board hasn't heard, there isn't any inflation. That goes for the wages of many workers right here in Northeastern Wisconsin.

Constantly increasing spending with little or no corresponding increase in achievement is far too common in our public school system. Breaking this feedback loop is a daunting and monumental task; a relatively small district like De Pere could provide the perfect laboratory for some radical thinking about how to do so.

This decision, though, shows that the current leadership is content to follow the same well-trod path of so many other school districts around the country. Both the students and the taxpayers deserve better.