On Tuesday, 41 school districts -- nearly one of every 10 in the state -- will be responding to a financial squeeze by asking voters for permission to spend more money.

That 's in addition to the 14 districts that did the same in last month 's primary election.

A few districts are requesting to borrow money to build or renovate or to buy land. But the majority are districts with leaky roofs to fix, outdated textbooks to replace, heating systems to repair and parking lots and athletic fields to maintain.

And they have no money to do it with because the state has boxed school boards, and the public they serve, into a no-win situation.

Whether these referendums deserve approval -- or, even if they do, whether taxpayers can afford the cost -- will be up to the voters.

But the districts ' plight merits attention.

At the crux is a system for financing public schools that essentially requires most schools to spend at a faster rate than they are allowed to raise revenue.

Virtually the only way out of that contradiction is to ask voters, in a referendum, to approve borrowing or exceed the state 's limits on raising revenue.

The referendums tend to divide communities and create animosity toward the schools.

Moreover, voters elect school board members to thoughtfully make decisions about what 's best for the schools and for taxpayers. Forcing those boards to run their districts ' budgets by periodic referendums makes thoughtful, long-term planning almost impossible.

The victims are the students -- along with Wisconsin 's future in the globally-competitive, knowledge-based economy.

The mess created by the state 's outdated and unfair school financing system is not new, but the consequences are mounting. Gov. Jim Doyle and lawmakers tweaked the system a year ago, but the state 's political leaders continue to shrink from the overhaul required.

Reform is a difficult proposition. The system is much like a balloon: when one end is squeezed, the other end bulges out of shape. In other words, fixing one part of the complicated formula can throw another part out of whack.

But that 's no excuse for continually failing to get to the root of the problem.

Schools need a solution. Taxpayers need a solution. Students need a solution. Wisconsin needs a solution.

Make it a priority for the next state budget.