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Rep. Chris Taylor, 608-266-5342

DPI Supt. Carolyn Stanford Taylor highlighted Gov. Evers’ historic investments in K-12 schools

MADISON – Today, State Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor testified before the Joint Finance Committee on Governor Evers’ budget for the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and his groundbreaking investments in the 860,000 students who attend our public schools. Supt. Taylor highlighted some of these investments in her testimony, including $600 million in new funding for special education after a decade of flat funding and a return to two-thirds state funding for our public schools.

Supt. Taylor also spoke to the budget’s funding for early childhood education, and emphasized that these early investments in our children are critical in working towards closing the achievement gaps facing our students of color, students with disabilities, English learners, and students from low income families.

In response, Rep. Chris Taylor (D-Madison) issued the following statement:

“Governor Evers knows that what’s best for our kids is best for our state, and investing in our kids will yield dividends for our future,” said Rep. Taylor. “After Republicans gut our public schools for the last eight years, they aren’t even back to 2011 levels of funding when adjusted for inflation, and our public schools are hurting. Finally we have a budget that fulfills our constitutional obligation to provide a public education to every child in our state, and provides desperately needed support for special education, student mental health, early childhood education, and much more.

It’s also time to put a “pause” on further private school voucher expansion. During Governor Walker’s tenure, over $2.2 billion was used to fund these private schools, leaving our public schools with inadequate funding. The only thing these private voucher schools have been increasing is property taxes in Milwaukee by approximately $1 billion during Governor Walker’s tenure. Supt. Taylor made clear that this budget invests in every school district, whether urban, suburban, or rural, and I am proud to support Governor Evers’ proposal. Finally, we have a Governor that invests in our 860,000 public school children and their futures.”

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