Talking Points: Public Education Funding

• For 15 years, public schools have been purposefully underfunded. A student graduating this year has spent their entire K-12 educational experience in a system that has had to cut corners every year.

• Public schools are being forced to go to referendum just to keep the lights on.  While the Republicans refuse to spend even a portion of the $4 billion surplus on public schools.

• Students with special needs or abilities rightfully deserve an appropriate education.  Unfortunately, Wisconsin only covers about a third of these costs, requiring districts to fill the gap for these unfunded mandates, therefore negatively impacting the educational opportunities of all students.

• In spite of all the needs in public schools, this year alone, over $7 million was spent on private school voucher subsidies.  These private schools are not accountable or transparent to taxpayers and their schools are not held to the same standard.

• Small districts and rural schools have been the most negatively impacted by years of underfunding. As a result, communities have a choice to either vote to raise their own taxes to provide the education their kids deserve or accept more cuts.

• Public funds spent on private school vouchers is contributing to schools that are allowed to discriminate. Public schools educate all students of all abilities.

• Governor Evers and Wisconsin Democrats are working hard to clean up the mess Republicans have made of our education system.

• Public education is codified in the Wisconsin Constitution because educating all students in a common curriculum is essential to our democracy. 

• Wisconsin elected officials take an oath to uphold the Wisconsin Constitution, which includes fully funding public education. The Republican-controlled legislature has failed to even provide an inflationary increase for the past 15 years.