UNITE FOR THE 2023-25 BUDGET WISCONSIN KIDS DESERVE!

See our archived budget action pages from previous cycles: 2021-23; 2019-21; 2017-19.

See our full one-page handout of 2023-25 budget priorities here.

Budget priorities handout here.

Click a green button below to jump to the corresponding section:

December 2022-January 2023: Gov. Evers’ “Doing the Right Thing” Listening Session Tour

Gov. Evers announced that he is holding a listening session tour open to the public, ahead of his drafting the 2023-25 executive budget:

Join Us!
Important 2023 Dates:
  • Jan. 24, 2023: Governor’s State of the State Address
  • Feb. 15, 2023: Governor’s 2023-25 Biennial Budget Message

Governor Evers will draft his executive budget and send it to the legislature. Stay tuned for ways to get involved as the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee solicits public opinion on the governor’s budget this spring.

PUBLIC SCHOOL CHAMPIONS are…

…meeting with lawmakers to make sure they understand the needs of local students.

…getting their communities involved in the process and educating them on how the budget works.

Click to register!
Click to register!

Read our reaction to the Department of Public Instruction’s 2023-25 education budget proposal and State Superintendent Underly’s and Governor Evers’ September announcement stating their education priorities for the upcoming budget.

HOW TO BUILD THE BUDGET WISCONSIN KIDS DESERVE:

  1. Increase the state reimbursement of districts’ special education costs to 60% in 2023-24 and 90% in 2024-25.
  2. Increase spendable state funds by at least $1,500* per student across the board, raise districts’ spending authority and adjust for inflation, with the ultimate goal of eliminating revenue limits.
  3. Prioritize investments where the needs are greatest: in English language learning (ELL), mental health support, services for students in poverty, rural schools, pre-K needs, and support for attracting and retaining educators.
  4. Impose a moratorium on the expansion of voucher and independent (non-district) charter spending.

A just budget is one that closes the gaps that currently exist and makes no investments in gap-widening measures.

See our full one-page handout of budget priorities here.

*Source for our $1,500 figure: Legislative Fiscal Bureau Memo, January 2023.

BOOKMARK THIS PAGE! We are following updates, news, and announcements on the budget process and will keep public school champions up-to-date with how they can take action where they live.

NOW: Tell your story! Budgets are about people. They are about local kids. Put students first and make sure decision-makers know how the state budget affects them. See our 2022 messaging toolkit here.

School board members, district administrators, and local advocates: Your school board can pass a resolution or set of legislative priorities related to the state budget. Some fantastic models below (have a great example that isn’t on this list? Email it to Christian@WisconsinNetwork.org):