Haluska: School budgets are uncertain

Decorah School superintendent Mike Haluska on Tuesday told members of the Decorah Rotary Club that never before have school budgets been so uncertain.

Haluska told the group 2010 is the first time ever that school districts haven't known what the allowable growth formula for school budgets will be for next year--even though they now have to put together those budgets.

Governor Culver is proposing a two percent increase in the allowable growth formula. But Haluska pointed out that such an increase would not come close to repairing the ten percent cut in state funding Culver enacted last year. Overall, the state has cut aid to the Decorah School District by $440,000, says Haluska.

The difference can be made up with local property taxes, but Haluska says he is opposed to that. Either way, he says all the state has really done is to pass on the bill to local taxpayers.