CONTACT: Sen. Howard Marklein, 608-266-0703

Marklein continues to lead the fight for rural school districts.

MADISON – State Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) offered the following statement on Governor Scott Walker’s announcement of a renewed effort to increase sparsity aid funding for rural schools and to increase the revenue limit ceiling for low spending school districts.

“I appreciate Governor Walker’s diligent effort to continue to find ways to support rural schools. The legislation circulated for co-sponsors today demonstrates our commitment to find common ground among the legislature to support our K-12 schools.

“The revised proposal will increase sparsity aid from $300 to $400 per pupil for the 2018-19 school year. In addition, this proposal also increases the low revenue ceiling from $9,100 to $9,400 for the 2018-19 school year, with the low revenue ceiling rising by $100 per year thereafter up to $9,800 by the 2022-23 school year.

“Combining an increase to sparsity aid with increasing the low revenue ceiling will provide needed relief for more rural schools and is a result of collaboration among legislators with differing districts. Legislators throughout Wisconsin came together to work on this new proposal and I am encouraged by our group effort.

“Sparsity Aid is an important funding program that helps 21 of the 33 school districts in the 17th Senate District with fewer than 745 students and less than 10 pupils per square mile. The change to the low revenue ceiling will impact six school districts in the 17th Senate District as well, including one district that does not qualify for sparsity aid.

This bill enhances the historic $11.5 billion investment in K-12 funding in the biennial budget by providing additional support for rural schools. I am proud to champion good policy. I look forward to working with my colleagues to move it through the legislative process.”

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