MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today blasted President Donald Trump and the Trump Administration over efforts to withhold more than $6 billion for K-12 school districts across the country, including over $72 million for Wisconsin’s kids and schools that the state was expecting to receive. These critical funds support the state’s K-12 kids and schools and technical colleges through after-school and summer programs, English-learning programs, educator trainings, and more.
The governor’s lawsuit comes as the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday issued a devastating decision to allow the Trump Administration to resume disastrous mass firings at the U.S. Department of Education—a move toward ultimately dismantling the agency—adding continued stress on Wisconsin kids, schools, and other facets of the state’s and country’s educational system that rely on federal support.
Earlier this month, Gov. Evers announced Wisconsin was joining a multi-state lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration attempting to cut funding already approved by Congress to help support critical mental health services in Wisconsin’s K-12 schools and higher education institutions, jeopardizing millions of dollars for Wisconsin kids’ mental health over the next several years.
Gov. Evers today released the following statement regarding the new lawsuit against the Trump Administration targeting tens of millions of dollars for Wisconsin’s kids and schools:
“President Trump and the Trump Administration’s war on kids and schools continues. From the get-go, this administration has done virtually nothing to help support Wisconsin’s kids or our schools, instead attacking Head Start Programs, trying to dismantle the Department of Education, and attempting to gut millions of dollars to help support our kids’ mental health.
“America’s kids and schools depend on these critical resources and services. These reckless decisions are deeply concerning to me as a governor who’s also a former educator—but they also alarm me as someone who’s the grandparent of nine grandkids. President Trump and the Trump Administration must stop messing with our kids. Period.
“I promised I’d fight every effort by President Trump and his administration to mess with our schools, our kids, and their futures, and I will continue to keep that promise.”
An online version of this release is available here.