| MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today shared a video message welcoming students, educators, and parents back to school for the 2022-23 school year. This week, the governor began a statewide back-to-school tour, visiting schools and meeting with students, families, educators, and staff as they begin the 2022-23 school year.
On Tuesday, to kick off the tour, the governor announced a $90 million investment into K-12 education across the state. The investment includes $15 million to double the governor’s “Get Kids Ahead” initiative to provide mental health services in K-12 schools across Wisconsin, as well as $75 million designed to give districts flexibility to meet staffing needs, keep classroom sizes small, and provide other direct classroom support. The governor’s $90 million investment comes as many school districts face significant staffing challenges and increased student mental health needs, among other challenges exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. The governor’s back-to-school video message is available for use here, and a transcript of the video message is available below. Hey there, Wisconsin. Governor Tony Evers here. I wanted to take a moment today to welcome all the students, educators, school staff, administrators, and parents across the state back to school for the new school year. Folks, as a former educator, superintendent, and state superintendent, back-to-school season is one of my favorite times of year, and I’m excited to help kick off another great year in Wisconsin by visiting schools and classrooms all across our great state. Whether you spent your summer months catching up on your reading, playing outside with friends, camping with family, or biking around the neighborhood like Kathy and I, I have no doubt that everybody is coming back excited, ready to take on this school year and get back to collaborating, creating, and learning. I also want to take this opportunity as we head back to the new school year to thank all of our educators and school staff and make sure all of you know that I appreciate the seen and unseen work you do on a daily basis. Every day, Wisconsin educators go above and beyond to ensure our students get the best education possible. Over the last few years, I’ve been amazed, but frankly not surprised at the remarkable stories of how our educators and the school staff have stepped up to support our kids and our schools through immense challenges. As governor, I’m committed to doing everything in my power to ensure you’re valued and supported as well. Our schools are the hearts of our communities, and that’s why we’re going to keep working to invest in our schools, support our teachers and school staff, and make sure our students have the tools and resources they need to not only thrive in school, but feel safe and supported both in and out of the classroom. So, with that, welcome back to school, and let’s make it a great year, folks. |
| An online version of this release is available here. |
