Contact: Tom Evenson, (608) 266-2839
Madison – Governor Scott Walker highlighted the major K-12 education investments included in his Executive Budget proposal at Gilman High School today. The governor’s proposal includes $649 million in new state aids for all K-12 schools in Wisconsin, increases per pupil categorical aid by $509.2 million, and lifts K-12 investment to $11.5 billion over two years, an all-time high.
“Our 2017-2019 budget proposal uses the Reform Dividend to invest more money into public schools,” Governor Walker said. “We invest in rural schools, like Gilman High School, to help them address unique needs like transportation costs. We’re putting $11.5 billion of state support into K-12 education, and this budget includes a more than half a billion dollar increase in per pupil aid for public education. That’s real money, and it’s going to have a real, significant impact on our students. Ultimately, this will ensure the continued success of our state for generations to come as we provide a top-quality education to the future leaders of Wisconsin.”
The Gilman School District is estimated to receive approximately $5.7 million in funding from the state under Governor Walker’s biennial budget, including:
- An increase of $236,768 in Per Pupil Aid. Governor Walker’s budget increases per-pupil funding by $200 in Fiscal Year 2018 and $204 per pupil in Fiscal Year 2019, which marks the largest increase since the 2005-2007 biennium.
- An increase of $134,930 in High-Cost Transportation Aid. High-Cost Transportation Aid provides additional transportation aid to school districts with per-pupil transportation costs more than 150 percent of the state average and with a density of 50 pupils per square mile or less.
- An increase of $88,596 in Sparsity Aid. Sparsity Aid provides $300 per pupil of additional funding to small rural school districts that have less than 745 pupils and a population density of fewer than 10 pupils per square mile of district attendance. Governor Walker’s budget proposal also creates a $100 per pupil tier of sparsity aid funding for districts with 746-1000 pupils, which provides additional stability for school districts that hover around 745 pupils buffer.
The Gilman School District may also be eligible for further funding under Governor Walker’s budget proposal, such as mental health grants, energy efficiency incentives, and special needs grants.
To learn more about Governor Walker’s proposed investment in K-12 education, click here. For Governor Walker’s full 2017 Budget Address, click here.
