A disappointing Borsuk article

The surprisingly biased headline "MPS doesn't pass along savings: tax boost comes despite budgetary windfalls" sets the tone of a news article by Alan Borsuk attacking an MPS decision to put savings into classrooms. This article is disappointing, particularly coming from the usually thoughtful and fair-minded Borsuk.

While the MPS decision is difficult politically, it is the responsible one. MPS schools have been operating under an increasing squeeze caused mainly by benefit costs that have continued to rise faster than either inflation in general or the state spending caps. Finding savings in non-classroom areas and putting them into classrooms seems exactly the right strategy to ease that squeeze.

In addition, the state spending limits have a ratchet effect. Thus a decision to spend under the limit has the effect of making the squeeze in future years even worse.

Finally, it might be noted that this is in part a good news/bad news story. Taxes are rising in part because state aid decreased (bad news). But aid decreased in part because property values have continued to increase more in Milwaukee than elsewhere--good news because that reflects the increasing attractiveness of Milwaukee. And certainly improvements in MPS have played their part.