“Be louder.”
This is what I’m hearing from our lawmakers right now. Our voices are not being heard loudly enough and time is running out.

Leadership plans to adjourn for the session by Feb. 19 and we still have not seen evidence that there will be a good faith effort to adequately support our public schools. We are also hearing that the “deal” in the works with the governor is likely to include an allocation to the misleadingly named “school levy tax credit” - which we all know is property tax relief, NOT SCHOOL AID. As State Superintendent, Gov. Evers called this out as the “shell game” it is. Putting more money into a funding gimmick instead of making sure funds get to kids  and classrooms through general aid (which would have a property tax relief impact anyway) is irresponsible and unacceptable.

We have ONE WEEK to raise our collective voice and make sure our demands are heard loudly and clearly.

These are the facts:

• The 2025-2027 state budget was woefully inadequate to meet districts' growing needs. 
• With $0 in new general aid for both years, we’re looking at another record-breaking year of school referenda, higher property taxes, and more kids going with less.
• The promise of a 42% special ed reimbursement is not being met (estimates show an allocation of about 35% since the funds were not sum sufficient). More importantly, 42% is not even close to what we actually need. While the least they can do is keep that promise, the BEST they can do is use the surplus to get to the 90% we need to end funding discrimination for students with disabilities and make a real impact for all districts.
• There is enough revenue on hand to fund special ed AND provide much-needed general aid. 
• The state sitting on a massive surplus and has a constitutional and fiscal responsibility to fix this now.

Now is not the time to water down our message or signal complacency with a status quo that literally allows the state to ignore its constitutional obligation to fund our public schools.

Lawmakers have gotten away with simply refusing to pay their school bills long enough.  Local property taxpayers are sick of picking up the tab, and parents & educators statewide are sick and tired of public school kids paying the price.

The only thing standing between our problem and the solution is the lack of political will to do the right thing by our children.

Enough is enough.

Tell lawmakers and Governor Evers: NO EXCUSES. FUND PUBLIC SCHOOLS NOW.

They can take up the bills already on the table [AB859/SB852 Special Education Funding Bill; and AB835/SB828 Save Our Schools Act], or they can move forward a budget repair bill that could help every school in the state today. But they need to do it now. And they need to hear from you today.

Be louder.

 

Thank you for taking time to take action. The kids are counting on us.

-Heather DuBois Bourenane

 

P.S. It's not too late to sign and share the KEEP YOUR PROMISE petition NOW and demand that Wisconsin lawmakers keep their broken budget promise to students with disabilities!