State education officials ask for $4 billion in new proposed budget

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - State education leaders presented a budget Monday that would give $4 billion to public schools in the next two years.

State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly explained her new budget proposal focuses on two priorities: supporting special education services and restructuring revenue limits.

Special education services are a required part of public schools in Wisconsin, but schools are struggling to fund them, Underly said. The new budget would raise the reimbursement schools get from these programs to 75%.

“It’s what our kids deserve,” Underly said. “It’s what local taxpayers deserve so districts are not forced to go to referenda for operating costs. And it’s the responsible thing to do.”

Revenue limits control how much public schools are able to earn and spend in the state. They were first introduced into Wisconsin law in 1993, and were initially set to scale according to inflation. About 15 years ago, the inflation provision was removed.

The new budget would reinstate the inflation scale, allowing schools to earn and use more money. Underly explained this would raise property taxes in Wisconsin, but she hopes government regulation will keep this increase minimal.

“Look, we need to update Wisconsin’s outdated school finance system, which is based in part on decade-old formulas that were never intended to adequately fund schools,” Underly said. “The formula no longer reflects the needs and realities of our school districts and schools. This is the first step, but not the last step, in starting to fix the formula.”

The remainder of the budget would support universal school meals, hiring more teachers and improving literacy rates.

“The bottom line is this: if we want our communities and our state to move forward, we can and must invest in public education. It really is that simple.”

McFarland School District Superintendent Aaron Tarnutzer said his school district needed a referendum this year to fill funding gaps, which he attributed to lack of support from the state legislature.

“As we planned for another referendum this November, we met with community members to explain the impact of the cuts and the challenges of school funding,” Tarnutzer said. “What we heard was frustration and anger, not with the district, but with the lack of support from the state.”

As a result of this lack of funding, Tarnutzer explained, the district had to make $1.2 million in cuts. Tarnutzer says the new budget would fill those gaps and reduce the need for referenda across the state.

Underly noted the budget needs to be approved by the state legislature before it goes to Governor Tony Evers for final approval.

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