Special episode, recorded Nov. 4, the morning after the midterm tsunami. We set aside our usual rhythm to go through what the results mean for school finance, including places we've covered. The big question: is this the moment to walk out on the ice for the treasure? Join the Discord!

In this episode:

  • Wisconsin: Democrats won the governor's race and both houses of the Legislature. But the same night was a bad one for school referenda: only 30 of 61 operating questions decided so far passed, down from 72% in November 2024. Geneva J4 lost by one vote.
  • Ohio: Amy Acton won, and Republicans may have lost their House supermajority. Cincinnati's Issue 4 passed with 61%. Pickerington lost by 256 votes. By our unofficial count, 71 of 133 school tax issues passed, but only 21 of 70 asking for new money.
  • California: Prop 3 makes permanent an income tax on high earners worth $5-15B a year, while Prop 40, the one-time billionaire tax, is losing. Teachers unions split on it. When you tax the rich, do you want the big splash or the stable base?
  • Chicago: the first 21-member elected board looks divided, with union-backed candidates about one seat short of a majority and Jessica Biggs beating the CTU's pick for president.
  • Minnesota: 73% of voters raised the Permanent School Fund payout from 2.5% to 4.5%, and union-backed candidates swept Minneapolis, where a plan to close up to 16 schools is shelved for now. In Ann Arbor, the Together Forward slate won too.
  • Old friends: Noblesville and most of Hamilton County, IN passed their referenda, and Stacy Lake won Jackson County executive, home of Hickman Mills.
  • Bigger picture: former Austin school board member Gina Hinojosa won in Texas, and DSA's House bloc grows from two to at least seven.

Our take: the treasure is out there, and the ice is still thin. Go forth with a broad vision: no one is expendable, and every part of the mission matters. Then do the wonky work of paying for it, starting with a meeting next week.

Further reading: As Public as Possible (Dave's book) · The Education Myth by Jon Shelton · Dividing the Public by Matthew Gardner Kelly

Music: Carsie Blanton. Art: Soumya Dhulekar. Chip in and join our Discord at budgetcommittee.show. Send us a request.