Green Bay Area Public School District building. (IMAGE: Courtesy of Fox 11 WLUK)
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Wisconsin lawmakers will have lots to discuss about the state budget when the new legislative session starts in January.
One of those discussions will be a massive increase in financial support for public schools, following State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jill Underly’s proposal of more than $3 billion in new investments for public education.
It includes making per-pupil adjustments to revenue limits, as well as increasing the special education reimbursement from roughly 32% to 90% by fiscal year 2027.
Over the last several years, the Green Bay Area Public School District says it has moved more than $30 million from its general operating fund to support special education costs not covered by the state or grants.
This increase in funding would be a game changer for the district, it says.
“That is significantly going to impact us as a district because that could, that could essentially reduce our need for an operational referendum in the future,” said GBAPS Chief Financial Officer Angie Roble.
Green Bay schools recently had a $183 million dollar referendum approved by voters in the November election.
Underly says her budget ask will reduce the number of referendums in communities, which reached a record-high in 2024.
What’s included in the state’s next biennial budget will be weighed by lawmakers.
Democrats like Rep. Lee Snodgrass say they will advocate for this ask by Superintendent Underly.
“The state has been habitually underfunding public schools and we need to make sure that we are giving them the resources that they need to meet the expanding needs of those students,” said State Rep. Snodgrass, D-Appleton.
Republicans control both chambers, but by a slimmer margin than previous legislative sessions.
Green Bay Republican Senator Eric Wimberger views increased special education funding as a reasonable discussion, but questions the overall proposal.
“18% of our entire budget goes to K-12 alone. And it’s not to say that, that’s a judgement on what is enough or not enough. I think at this point, we don’t know what anyone means when they say ‘We don’t have enough,’ because it’s such a large chunk of the budget. It’s so much money,” said Wimberger.
The DPI’s overall budget request will be released later this month.
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