The Joint Committee on Finance (budget writing committee of the state legislature) is scheduled to meet Thursday (6/12) to take up public school funding. The committee is poised to make decisions on the critical investments and priorities that have been made crystal clear by the combined voices of school leaders, parents, and community and business leaders from around the state.
At public hearings on the state budget in April, the call to increase K-12 public education funding was by far the largest issue raised. Rural, suburban and urban voices were unified in the call for predictable and spendable dollars to support student learning. Legislators repeatedly heard the importance of supporting students with disabilities by reimbursing schools for 60% of the costs of mandated primary special education programs (the state currently supports special education services at only about 30%). Amid the shortfalls in current reimbursement, school districts struggle to fund these mandated programs and must divert funds from general budgets meant to fund programs for all students.
The lack of an adequate state reimbursement for mandated special education programs and services negatively affects all other academic programs, including career and technical education, reading interventionists, teachers and counselors, STEM, dual enrollment, music, art and more.
While small increases in special education reimbursement have been achieved in recent state budgets, costs for special education programming and services have grown much faster than those increases, leaving public schools in a stagnant situation.
Over the past two decades, we have watched Wisconsin’s state funding for K-12 education slowly shrink in importance. In 2002, Wisconsin spent over 43% of its general fund on education aid, with per-pupil spending ranking 11th highest in the country. By 2023, K-12 education’s share had fallen to 36% of general fund spending and we ranked 25th in the country in per-pupil spending. This decline has left Wisconsin school districts struggling to meet the needs of their students and forced many districts across the state to turn to their local property taxpayers to close the gap. This reliance on referendums is unsustainable, and it further increases disparities in educational opportunities around the state as voters in different communities differ in their ability and willingness to pay higher property taxes.
Investments in K-12 public education are a critical driver of both an individual pupil’s ability to thrive and our state’s future economic vitality. Prioritizing long term investments in schools enables them to hire and retain qualified teachers and staff to help our students receive a world-class education and provide facilities that are safe and conducive to student learning. These investments reap meaningful returns, as students in Wisconsin schools today will soon be our next generation of business leaders, health care providers, state representatives, public safety officials, etc.
We urge the legislature to meet this moment with the urgency it requires. The 2025-27 budget provides the opportunity for the state to prioritize resources to help our students achieve and thrive. Should we fail in this task, we are not only hurting Wisconsin’s youth today but also our chances to compete in tomorrow’s economy.
Dee Pettack, School Administrators Alliance, Executive Director
The mission of the School Administrators Alliance (SAA) is to represent the interests of Wisconsin school children. The SAA advocates on behalf of school leaders in their efforts to strengthen Wisconsin’s national leadership in education to ensure that Wisconsin’s children receive the highest quality education possible.
Dan Rossmiller, Wisconsin Association of School Boards, Executive Director
The Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) is a nonprofit, voluntary membership organization seeking to advance the interests of public education through supporting the tradition of local school board control.
Cathy Olig, Southeast Wisconsin School Alliance, Executive Director
The Southeastern Wisconsin Schools Alliance (SWSA) consists of 26 member school districts, represented by superintendents, business managers and school board members who advocate for public school students.
Jeff Eide, Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance, Executive Director
The Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance (WiRSA) provides a unified voice for rural schools at the local, state and federal levels, celebrates the incredible achievements of rural schools, and curates research, news, events and resources for rural educators, including the annual WiRSA conference.
