MADISON — John Forester, executive director of the School Administrators Alliance, has released the following statement on Governor Evers’ plan to use Wisconsin state surplus revenues:
“School leaders throughout Wisconsin applaud Governor Evers’ plan to direct more than $600 million in Wisconsin surplus revenues to Wisconsin public schools. In doing so, the Governor recognizes the enormous challenges that our schools are currently facing to meet the educational needs of Wisconsin school children in the wake of the continuing pandemic.
As part of the 2021-23 state budget, school districts were forced to redirect one-time federal COVID relief funding to pay for ongoing school operations, leaving schools with no increase in general state spending authority with which to address rising inflation and critical shortages of teachers, substitute teachers, bus drivers and support staff. We all know that using one-time funds for ongoing fiscal obligations is simply not sound fiscal practice.
Recent news accounts from across the nation indicate that lawmakers in other states are proposing major increases in state funding for K-12 education to address the impact of rising inflation and shortages of qualified teaching staff. With the announcement this week that Wisconsin has a projected $3.8 billion surplus, lawmakers have a great opportunity to provide schools with much-needed state resources to address these staffing shortages and the rising costs of providing educational opportunities for the children they serve.
Once again, we thank Governor Evers for his proposed investment in Wisconsin schools and Wisconsin school children. We look forward to working with lawmakers of both parties to move it forward.
