2025-2027 State Budget Sells Wisconsin Kids Short

We are deeply disappointed to report that the budget signed into law around 1am this morning fails once again to meet the needs of our children and their public schools.

Ultimately, Wisconsin kids and their public schools were the big losers in the budget compromise reached by Republicans, Gov. Evers, and enough Democrats to get the bill across the finish line.

Despite remarkable advocacy efforts and an unprecedented alignment of the education community to demand increases to revenue limits, spendable aid, special education funding, and meeting priority needs, the budget "compromise" was driven largely by petty politics and partisanship.

It wasn't because you didn't fight hard enough. We are told that collectively we changed hearts and minds - and votes - and we know we moved the dial on special education. That increase would not have been possible without our relentless advocacy and coalition-building over many years. We were literally laughed at when we first said we weren't going to back down on funding fairness in this category. The sum-certain 42% in year one and 45% reimbursement in year two might be less than half of the sum-sufficient 90% we asked for, but it's still the highest reimbursement rate we've seen in three decades, and puts us a big step closer to ending funding discrimination for students with disabilities.

Huge thanks and congratulations to all who took budget action this year: those who signed onto letters, testified, called, sent emails, attended listening sessions, visited lawmakers, talked to their friends & neighbors, and to the remarkable grassroots organizing efforts of disability advocates on the "Learn in My Shoes" team and the child care advocates at W.E.C.A.N. We're especially grateful to our friends at Citizen Action, Wisdom, and WEAC for joining us to set a high bar for making our shared needs, expectations and values clear throughout this budget process. Together we made an impact that helped make a bad budget better. This is a win worth celebrating even as we share our frustration over the final deal.

In the final hour, though, politics won out over people.

Republicans, still angry over the governor's "400 year veto" in the last budget cycle, callously rejected the urgent and well-documented needs of our kids; Gov. Evers - and enough Democrats to get the bill over the finish line - sacrificed public schools and other budget needs for other priorities in a race to beat the federal budget to the deadline.

The budget sends public school students back to school this fall *AND NEXT FALL* with $0 in new state general aid. This is perhaps unprecedented. Even the deep cuts of the Walker administration in 2011 provided a slight bump in year two (-8.1% and 1.4%). This shocking move seems purely out of spite over the 400-year veto; we are told that Republicans "wouldn't budge" on this. We are deeply disappointed that a refusal to provide spendable general aid wasn't a deal-breaker in these negotiations.

The much-needed increase to the special education reimbursement and mental health supports are significant and welcome, but remain woefully inadequate to meet districts' needs, and are no substitute for adequate, predictable, and spendable state aid.

Withholding state aid at a time of urgent need, with deep federal cuts looming, is a guarantee that local communities will have to close the gaps with higher property taxes. And where they can't, kids will pay the price. Either way, the gaps get wider and the state fails to meet its constitutional obligation to fund public schools that are "as uniform as practicable."

66% of districts will see a cut to state aid in 2025-2026; most of those who fare better will not even receive an inflationary increase.  

And while public schools will receive no new general aid, the budget contained a provision that private school students in voucher and independent charter schools are guaranteed an annual increase, even though the Wisconsin Constitution only requires the state legislature to fund public schools.

So we are braced for another round of record numbers of referenda, belt-tightening, school closures, and being forced to do more with less. But we are ready for it. We are here to help your referenda teams, amplify your local action, and provide whatever support we can to get organized, focused and connected to support our kids through the next two years.

And we are resolved to fight harder, speak up louder, and keep fighting to hold the state accountable to meet its constitutional obligation to every single kid in every single public school. Even if it doesn't feel like it in this moment, we made significant gains in this budget cycle and we will continue to do whatever we can to support and inspire local action with statewide impact to demand and deliver the thriving public schools Wisconsin kids deserve.

JOIN US. If you are frustrated and ready to do something about it, come to our Summer Summit in Green Bay July 23-24 to find out how YOU can be part of the critical movement to support Wisconsin students and their public schools. We will debrief the budget, learn from experts, and lean deep in action-focused sessions that help us connect and plan forward. We need you there: WisconsinNetwork.org/Summit

Until then, please joining us in reminding anyone taking a victory lap in this moment that Wisconsin kids lose every time we pass a budget that fails to meet their needs. A commitment to widening our gaps is nothing to celebrate.

Final budget votes in the Senate and Assembly:

Senate: 19/14
Assembly: 59/39

Democratic YES votes:
Senate: Dassler-Alfheim, Hesselbein, Pfaff, Smith, Wall
Assembly: Billings, Doyle, Emerson, Johnson, McCarville, Ortiz-Velez, Palmeri

Republican NO votes:
Senate: Felzkowski, Hutton, Kapenga, Nass
Assembly: Allen

Budget votes fell on party lines, except where indicated here by red and blue dots to signify breaks from party votes.

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