Get your facts straight!

Is anyone else growing weary of school board member Mary Ellen Havel-Lang and District Administrator Tim Culver stating mis-information with respect to the taxy levy?

At the 9/24/07 school board meeting, Tim Culver stated that "we're [Sun Prairie] one of a rare number of school districts that levy [taxes] below the state revenue limit".

Horse hockey! I honestly think they say these things because (A) they sound really impressive and (B) they believe no one has the wherewithal to check the facts.

The facts, folks, are these:

1. Over the past 3 school years, 148(2004-05), 143 (2005-06), and 82 (2006-07) out of the state's 426 school districts have levied underneath the state-imposed limits. I wouldn't call those numbers "RARE". sure, it''s getting harder to do so, but even last year, 20% of districts levied under the limit.

2. Here are Sun Prairie's rankings (out of 426) over the past 3 years:

......................................................... 2004-05 ..... 2005-06 ..... 2006-07
Revenue Limit .................................... 23rd ................. 22nd .............. 22nd
Tax levy .............................................. 23rd ................. 17th ................ 17th
Tax levy under the cap -$$ ................. OVER ............... 13th ................ 8th
Tax levy under the cap -% of limit ...... OVER ............... 22nd ................ 15th

Yes, we've been "good"....but certainly not "rare".

See for yourself here:
http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/sfs/revlim.html
then download "Historical Revenue Limit Information" (available by year)