Madison, WI– Today, the State of Wisconsin Board of Commissioners of Public Lands (BCPL) announced the election of Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski as board chair for Wisconsin’s oldest state agency. With the retirement of former Secretary of State Doug LaFollette on March 17, Secretary Godlewski returns to the position she previously held as BCPL’s chair.
“I am proud of the work we have accomplished over the last four years to support public schools and invest in communities across Wisconsin,” said Godlewski. “During my term as Chair, we took transformative actions that led to record-breaking distributions to public schools totaling $159 million. And, financed over 600 community projects that include removal of lead laterals, to expanding broadband access to purchasing police and fire trucks. I look forward to not only continuing this important work but finding new ways to support communities across Wisconsin.”
BCPL manages four School Trust Funds that amount to almost $1.4 billion that provide annual distributions to Wisconsin’s public schools. Most notably, the Common School Fund provides millions to support public school libraries and technology needs such as laptops, hotspots, and e-learning books. The BCPL State Trust Fund Loan Program is another an important economic development program that provides competitive financing to municipalities, school districts, and more. The BCPL also preserves and manages over 77,000 acres of public land.
“Every librarian and educator understands how impactful the Common School Fund is for their student’s success. Secretary Godlewski has been a partner as we identify needs and find solutions, and we are thrilled Secretary Godlewski is back at the helm. We look forward to continuing to work together,” said President AFT-Wisconsin Kim Kohlhaas.
“As municipalities struggle with shrinking budgets, the BCPL’s State Trust Fund Loan Program is a valuable tool for financing local community projects. Thanks to Secretary Godlewski’s leadership, we were able to invest in clean energy with a solar array at our Wastewater Treatment Plant that has provided energy while also reducing our carbon footprint. We are seeing a great return on our investment and we look forward to working together on future projects,” said City of Washburn Mayor Mary D. Motiff.
“We congratulate Secretary of State Godlewski for being selected to chair the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands (BCPL),” said Wisconsin Educational Material and Technology Association President Kay Koepsel-Benning. “WEMTA looks forward to working with Secretary of State Godlewski and all of the BCPL Commissioners to ensure continued strong distributions from the Common School Fund to school libraries.” Learn more about the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands: https://bcpl.wisconsin.gov/Pages/Home.aspx
