The Wisconsin Association of School Boards expresses deep disappointment in last night’s state Senate vote to defeat 2026 May Special Session Assembly Bill 1 — a bipartisan agreement that would have directed state surplus funds toward our public schools and delivered property tax relief to Wisconsin families.
Our members — school board members from communities across this state — work tirelessly to provide students with the education they deserve, often under significant and growing financial strain. This legislation represented a rare moment of bipartisan compromise in Madison and an opportunity to act on behalf of kids and taxpayers alike.
This bill was not a cure-all. Although it promised levels of special education reimbursement not seen in decades, it would not have resolved the structural funding challenges that continue to push school districts toward referenda, program cuts and difficult choices. But it would have been a productive first step toward continuing conversations on both sides of the aisle for the betterment of students and taxpayers. It also would have provided critical relief now, at a time when inadequate state support is
forcing local property taxpayers to shoulder a growing share of the cost of funding the public schools their communities depend on and value.
In the coming days, there will be no shortage of finger-pointing and competing narratives about what happened. What will not change is the reality on the ground: Schools across Wisconsin will continue to struggle, and the families and taxpayers who
support them will continue to carry that weight.
We call on the Governor and Legislature to return to the table, set aside political gamesmanship and find a path forward for Wisconsin’s students and the communities that support them.
