MADISON, WI – On Tuesday, February 24, 2026, a coalition of parents, educators, advocates, and school districts filed a lawsuit against the Wisconsin Legislature, alleging an unconstitutional failure to fund public education. The suit was filed in Eau Claire County Circuit Court.
State Representative Christian Phelps (D-Eau Claire), a member of the Assembly Committee on Education and former special education paraprofessional, released the following statement:
“Article X of the Wisconsin Constitution gives our Legislature one very clear job: to fully fund a free, uniform, and high quality public education for every single child in the state.
Local communities, including in the Chippewa Valley, know how important this Constitutional charge is. For years, the Legislature has amassed a state surplus while defunding our public schools. Through higher property taxes, hundreds of referendums per year, decreasing services for their kids, and even school closures, Wisconsinites at the local level have felt the pain that comes from the State Legislature passing its responsibility on to them instead.
I have long argued the Legislature must do better by our kids and communities. We need clarity on exactly how our Legislature can meet its Constitutional obligations. I will be closely following this lawsuit as it moves forward.”