Highlight Assembly Democrats’ Bill to Fund General School Aids and Special Education

Racine, Wis. — On Wednesday, March 25th, State Representatives Angelina Cruz (D-Racine) and Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) hosted a roundtable focused on education funding with officials from Racine and Kenosha Unified School Districts. Reps. Cruz and Neubauer highlighted AB 1176, Assembly Democrats’ bill to provide $445 million in general school aids to school districts and ensure a guaranteed special education reimbursement rate of 60% for this school year and next. 

WGTD 91.1 FM – Public School Officials & Teachers Decry School Funding Formula: “State aid for Wisconsin’s public schools is inadequate and the funding formula is confusing to the public. That’s the consensus among area school superintendents, school board members and teachers who expressed growing frustration over the situation at a roundtable discussion in Racine this week that was hosted by State Representative Angelina Cruz.”

·         Racine Unified Superintendent Soren Gajewski on the need to fix our school funding formula: “”It’s exhausting. It’s not good for our kids and it’s deceptive to our community.”

·         Racine School Board President Jane Barbian: “Our community wants these great schools but we need to have that support from the state.”

Racine County Eye / Wisconsin Examiner – Racine lawmakers discuss using state surplus to cut property taxes, boost school funding:

·         Rep. Angelina Cruz: “We have been living with the consequences of long-term disinvestment in our public schools,” she said. “This legislation is a step toward correcting that. By increasing the state’s investment in public education, we can support our schools while delivering meaningful relief to property taxpayers.”

·         Racine Mayor Cory Mason: “Year after year, we see the state walking away from its responsibility to adequately fund education and putting more and more of it on local property taxpayers,” Mason said. “There’s no future where we’re successful without great public schools.”

·         Kenosha Unified Board of Education President Mary Modder on the legislature’s failure to keep its promise on special education reimbursement: “It’s kind of a bait and switch, and then we have to make up the difference.”