Contact: Tom Evenson, (608) 266-2839
Elkhart Lake – Governor Scott Walker traveled to Elkhart Lake today, where he discussed the historic K-12 and rural school investments included in his biennial budget proposal. The governor’s budget lifts K-12 investment to $11.5 billion over two years, an all-time high and includes $649 million in new state aids for all K-12 schools in the state.
“Since taking office, we’ve implemented common-sense reforms to get Wisconsin back on track and move it forward,” Governor Walker said. “Thanks to these reforms, we now have the Reform Dividend. The Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah School District, like every other school district in Wisconsin, is directly benefiting from these savings as we invest more money than ever before into K-12 education. One of the most important keys to the future success of our state is skilled workers and strong leaders, so it’s crucial we provide them with the best education possible.”
The Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah School District is estimated to receive more than $1.4 million in funding from the state under Governor Walker’s biennial budget, including:
- An increase of $269,988 in Per Pupil Aid. Governor Walker’s budget proposal increases per-pupil funding by $200 per pupil in Fiscal Year 2018 and $204 per pupil in Fiscal Year 2019 – the largest increase since the 2005-2007 biennium.
- An increase of $105,792 in Sparsity Aid. Sparsity Aid provides $300 per pupil of additional funding to small rural 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 the 745 buffer.
The Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah 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.