The News: The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) released The Wisconsin Education Comeback: A Roadmap for Student Success, a comprehensive policy agenda offering 26 recommendations to reverse Wisconsin’s academic decline and restore the state’s place among the nation’s top education performers.

The report comes as Wisconsin continues to lag the country in academic success. Among states with available data, Wisconsin ranks 33rd of 38 states in math recovery and 30th of 35 in reading recovery since 2022. Wisconsin students remain roughly one-third of a grade level behind their 2019 peers in math and more than half a grade level behind in reading.

At the same time, the state is spending near-record amounts on K-12 education, with average per-pupil revenue reaching $18,746 in the 2024-25 school year. Yet higher spending has not translated into stronger academic results, underscoring the need to focus not just on how much Wisconsin spends on education, but on how effectively those dollars are used. In fact, Wisconsin data show little consistent relationship between higher spending and better academic outcomes, even after accounting for demographic differences.

The Quote: WILL Research Director, Will Flanders, stated, “For decades, Wisconsin was regarded as one of the strongest education states in the country, but we are losing ground in key areas. The answer cannot be to simply spend more money and hope for better results. Reversing this decline will require education leaders and policymakers to come together and put student success at the forefront. If we fail to act, continued decline will have lasting consequences for our state’s growth and prosperity.”

Our Report’s Guiding Principles: The Wisconsin Education Comeback envisions a Wisconsin where every child, regardless of zip code or family income, has access to a school that works for them, where parents are trusted as the primary decisionmakers in their children’s education, and where a diploma is proof of meaningful preparation for what comes next.

The report’s 26 recommendations are organized around seven principles that place student success at the center of policymaking: expand educational opportunity; respect parental authority; put students before systems; increase transparency & accountability; fund what works; form capable citizens; and empower excellent educators.

Key Recommendations Include:

  • Remove income caps for Wisconsin’s parental choice programs. Nearly 70% of Wisconsin families are ineligible for the statewide program, including many middle-class families.
  • Reform school funding by moving toward a weighted student funding model where education dollars more directly follow the student, and additional funding is provided based on student needs.
  • “Decouple” choice and charter program funding from local property taxes. Funding these programs directly through state revenue could deliver nearly $400 million in annual property tax relief statewide without reducing resources to public schools.
  • Protect Act 10, which has saved local governments more than $35 billion since 2011. WILL estimates repealing the law could cost school districts and other local governments over $2 billion annually.
  • Reverse Governor Evers’ “400-year veto,” which extended a two-year per-pupil funding increase to 400 years and has already increased school district revenue authority by up to $1,300 per student for 2026-27. The veto is adding further pressure to property taxpayers at a time when Wisconsin families are already facing some of the largest property tax increases in decades.
  • Restore honest academic standards and accountability by reversing DPI’s recent changes to Wisconsin’s proficiency standards, realigning the Forward Exam with NAEP, and replacing the state’s five-star report cards with clear A–F grades.
  • Combat grade inflation and give parents clearer information about whether classroom grades reflect actual academic proficiency.
  • Launch an “Act 20 for math” to bring early numeracy screening and support to Wisconsin classrooms.
  • Pass a Teacher Bill of Rights to give educators stronger authority to maintain safe, orderly classrooms, require parental notification after serious incidents, and ensure teachers are supported when addressing disruptive behavior.
  • Limit classroom technology, particularly for younger students to curb distraction and excessive screen time.

What’s Next: WILL hopes this agenda will serve as a starting point for a broader conversation about the future of Wisconsin education and will work with policymakers, educators, families, and education leaders to advance reforms that put students first.

Read More:

Report: “The Wisconsin Education Comeback: A Roadmap for Student Success”, September 2026

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