State budget writing committee starts review of 2025-27 Biennial Budget today
MADISON — As the Wisconsin State Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance begins executive sessions on the 2025-27 Biennial Budget today, State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly is once again calling on lawmakers to make a meaningful investment in Wisconsin’s public schools.
“This process will shape the future of our state, and it couldn’t come at a more critical time for public education,” Dr. Underly said. “Students, parents, educators, school leaders, and community members across Wisconsin have made their message clear: local schools need reliable, flexible, and predictable funding. That’s not just a want — it’s a necessity. And our state budget is the time to meet those needs. A historic number of communities have been forced to go to referendum just to keep the lights on. That is simply not sustainable.
“If anyone on the Joint Committee on Finance has a better idea – one that truly supports our kids and educators — we’re watching and listening. We need action and investment in this state budget.”
Despite not being invited to testify before the JCF on the needs of Wisconsin’s schools and libraries for the second consecutive budget cycle, Dr. Underly continues to advocate for students and educators. Earlier today, she shared a video message underscoring the importance of funding Wisconsin’s public schools.
In her 2025-27 budget request, Dr. Underly proposed historic investments in Wisconsin’s public education system, including increasing special education reimbursement rates, which lag far behind actual costs, restoring revenue limit indexing to inflation for the first time since 2009-10, expanding school-based mental health supports using proven strategies, providing universal access to healthy school meals at no cost to families, helping districts recruit and retain high-quality educators, and much more.
In April, Dr. Underly joined community members at a statewide budget listening session to explain the need to share firsthand accounts of the challenges facing public schools.
“This is a pivotal moment for public schools, where the actions we take now will determine the future of our children and the strength of our communities,” Dr. Underly said in her testimony. “For far too long, Wisconsin schools have faced the challenge of underfunding and insufficient resources. Our public education system has been under immense financial pressure, impacting the learning environment for every student and teacher. This struggle is felt in every corner of Wisconsin. The chronic underfunding of education in our state has reached a critical point, and it’s time for change.”
Additional information and resources, including one-page handouts, on Dr. Underly and Gov. Tony Evers’ budget as it relates to Wisconsin schools and libraries can be found on the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s website.
