MADISON — The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction announced today that in June, the agency distributed a total of $1.8 billion to schools across the state to support mental health programs in public schools, special education students, transportation costs, and other categorical state aids.
General state aids, including Equalization Aids, is the state’s main public K-12 funding program, accounting for $1.6 billion of the funding. A portion of that, $110 million, was withheld from districts for their residents enrolled in participating private choice schools and new independent charter schools. Special education aids totaled $117.1 million, transportation aid allocations equaled $14.6 million, and other categorical state aids such as Achievement Gap Reduction and Aid for School Mental Health Programs amounted to $53.1 million.
Among the funding for special education is $9.4 million in High Cost Special Education Aid. The DPI approved 163 claims submitted by districts and other eligible agencies in Wisconsin for serving 1,394 public school students whose needs were particularly significant and costly. Agencies apply for partial reimbursement of costs for individual students in the prior year, where those costs are in excess of $30,000 per student and not covered by other state and federal special education funding. For more information about the High Cost Special Education Aid, visit the DPI’s website.
Transportation aid included funding for High Cost Pupil Transportation Aid, totaling $13.5 million. The aid program provides additional funding to Wisconsin school districts that have higher per pupil transportation costs when compared to the statewide average. For more information about the High Cost Pupil Transportation Aid program, visit the DPI’s website.
