MADISON – State Representative Amanda Nedweski (R–Pleasant Prairie) voted to pass a series of bills that provide school districts with new voluntary options to address the demographic challenges caused by declining enrollment. The legislation creates financial incentives for consolidation while giving districts tools to protect property taxpayers and expand academic opportunities for students.
“For more than a decade, nearly 70% of Wisconsin school districts have seen enrollment decline, resulting in more than 53,000 fewer students statewide,” Nedweski said. “As birth rates continue to fall, many districts have become increasingly reliant on operational referendums just to keep half-empty buildings open. Wisconsin already has some of the highest property tax rates in the country—and that burden will only grow because of Governor Evers’ 400-year property tax increase. These bills give districts a different path forward by providing incentives for voluntary consolidation and removing the barriers that often prevent potential partnerships from taking shape.”
The package of bills include:
- Assembly Bill 644, which provides a one-time 1000% increase in the state’s per-pupil consolidation aid amount for districts that consolidate
- Assembly Bill 645, which provides grants for districts to conduct feasibility studies for consolidation
- Assembly Bill 646, which provides for a state-wide school district demographics study
- Assembly Bill 647, which provides grants for districts entering into a whole-grade sharing agreement
- Assembly Bill 648, which provides additional aid for consolidated school districts to equalize mill rate differentials between districts, holding taxpayers harmless and addressing one of the biggest barriers to consolidation
“The issue of declining enrollment is not going away,” Nedweski added. “There is no referendum, no funding increase, and no talking point that can reverse decades of falling birth rates. Democrats want you to believe that spending more money to educate fewer kids in half-empty buildings will solve the problem. That’s not a strategy—it’s denial. These bills offer long-term, sustainable alternatives to the endless cycle of referendums, increasing affordability for taxpayers and creating access to more learning opportunities for students.”
Nedweski emphasized that these bills will allow districts to share staff, reduce duplicative services, increase teacher pay, and expand academic offerings such as AP courses, world languages, career and technical education, special education services, and other classroom resources.
“Buildings don’t educate kids—teachers do,” Nedweski said. “When districts are able to collaborate, reduce overhead, and put more resources into our classrooms—everybody wins. These bills protect taxpayers, respect local control, and help provide districts with options to adapt to changing demographics so that students can continue to succeed.”
Rep. Nedweski represents the 32nd Assembly District, which includes the Town and Village of Bloomfield, Village of Bristol, Town of Brighton, Village of Genoa City, portions of Kenosha, portions of Lake Geneva, Village of Paddock Lake, Town of Paris, Village of Pleasant Prairie, Town of Randall, Village of Salem Lakes, Village of Twin Lakes, and the Town of Wheatland.
