MADISON, WI – This morning, Democratic Leader Senator Dianne Hesselbein, joined by Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Devin Remiker and former Middleton-Cross Plains Board of Education President Sheila Hibner, called for greater investment in public education and an end to the cycle of school funding referendums.

They called out Republican failures to fully fund public education, forcing communities into a persistent cycle of school funding referendums, higher property taxes, and difficult conversations about school programming.

Democratic Leader Senator Dianne Hesselbein on the consequences of Republican failure to fund public education:

“Last spring, parents in the Hustisford School District rejected a $3.75 million referendum, their 10th referendum in 12 years. This year, those schools are closed and over 200 students were forced to find new schools.

Hustisford community members simply were not able to keep up with rising costs and could not afford another increase in property taxes.

Unfortunately, the results we saw in Hustisford are becoming increasingly common across the state, especially in rural communities. And it’s flatly unacceptable. Wisconsin needs new leadership.”

Public school teacher and Former Education Board President Sheila Hibner on the toll underfunding takes on teachers and students:

“It is in the boardroom where we feel the greatest impact of a broken school funding system. And who does it hurt the most? The children; it hurts the children.

I’m calling each of you to action to find a new way to fund public education. To acknowledge that the current system isn’t working anymore. The increase in the number of school referendums happening in communities all over Wisconsin is evidence that the system is broken.”

Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Devin Remiker on the cycle of School Funding Referendums:

“We’re here today because legislative republicans and their failures are hurting towns, cities, and kids across Wisconsin. For years, they have ignored their responsibility to Wisconsin’s students; cutting money from public schools has led to endless waves of referendums- 78 more this fall; their failure to fund our schools is exactly why we’ve also seen over 900 since 2020.

This is an issue where the bill is finally coming due after they’ve kicked the can down the road for so many years, and this is exactly why property taxes are skyrocketing in every corner of the state.”