The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com.

In 1993 the Wisconsin Legislature agreed they would tie aid to public schools directly to the rate of inflation automatically year after year, providing schools with predictable, sustainable support.

In 2009 the Legislature decoupled state aid from inflationary increases, and public schools have received less state aid than needed to meet rising inflationary costs in order to keep the doors open and operate their schools.

By 2025 Wisconsin’s legislative spending on education was behind inflation by $3,300 per pupil. This is funding that public schools did not receive because the Legislature walked away from its 1993 commitment to schools and local taxpayers.

In the current biennial budget, Governor Evers asked for $1.2 billion for public schools out of a $4.4 billion revenue surplus. The Republican-controlled Legislature refused to increase general aid for schools at all, not one penny.

This is the first time in over 50 years there were no increases in generalized state aid for schools. However, the Legislature did give nearly $1 billion of your tax dollars for voucher and independent charter schools.

Public schools are mandated to educate every child. Special education costs are a significant expense. Currently the Legislature reimburses voucher schools 90% of their costs. Public schools are only given 35% of their special education costs.

Governor Evers was able to work around the Legislature’s zero dollar increase for schools and instituted a $325 per pupil yearly increase. Unfortunately this comes nowhere near compensating for the Legislature’s refusal to provide any funding for the current 2 year biennium.

When the majority party in the Legislature gives zero new general funds for public schools in their budget; the state shortfall has to be made up by “ local taxes.”

Republican legislators will tout a historic $1.2 billion increase for schools in their previous budget. Almost half of this money [dollars] never went to schools. It was a statewide property tax credit [ not money] but listed cleverly as school funding.

Property tax bills skyrocketed this fall because no new school aids were included in the latest state two year budget. For sixteen years Republicans in the Legislature have left your schools underfunded, pushing their education funding obligation on to local taxpayers.

– Hanson, of Elkhorn, is a member of the Walworth County Democratic Party.