(The Center Square) – Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Superintendent Jill Underly again called for an increase in state spending on K-12 public schools in the next biennial budget.
Underly spoke to the state’s Joint Committee on Finance during a Wednesday public meeting in Kaukauna, a day after she was reelected to the post.
Underly is pushing for a 60% increase in the state special education reimbursement rate for school districts. That rate stopped being adjusted with inflation in 2009 and Underly said that led to a decade of inadequate funding for schools.
She also is pushing for universal free school meals, youth mental health support, education workforce spending and spending more on student health initiatives.
“An unprecedented number of our school districts have been forced to turn to referenda, asking their communities to raise property taxes just to compensate for the state’s underfunding,” Underly said. “On top of that, the Trump administration’s reckless cuts threaten the critical federal funding that Wisconsin schools depend on.”
Gov. Tony Evers’ budge proposal included a $3.4 billion increase to DPI over two years with $1.1 billion additional to local governments and tax relief, according to an analysis from Wisconsin Policy Forum.
Underly has pointed to the number of local school referendums on the ballot across the state as evidence that schools are not properly funded.
Underly’s office said that 58.4% of school referendums passed in Tuesday’s election, including 89 questions related to 81 school districts. Those included 53 questions related to one-time funding, 31 to approve issuing debt and five were for recurring spending.
Rep. Scott Allen, R-Waukesha, has said he believes increased spending has not and will not lead directly to improved student performance and that school referenda allow for local decision-making on school funding.
“These referendums keep the power and choice for how and when to spend tax dollars with people in local communities rather than creating a one size fits all approach,” Allen said in November in response to Underly’s budget proposal.
