Public School Advocates Censure Walker’s Budget

Public school advocates are calling on lawmakers to make big changes to Governor Scott Walker’s budget. Walker wants to freeze spending for public schools while expanding vouchers for private schools and special education.

State Superintendent Tony Evers was in Seymour today, where he said rural schools would be disproportionately affected by the budget because they face cuts while also dealing with declining enrollment, rising property values and poverty.

Also today at a news conference at the state Capitol, superintendents and board members from districts in Dane County spoke out. Ed Hughes, a Madison school board member, says the proposal to expand vouchers would hit Madison hard.

“Resources would be drained from our public schools in order to pay the tuition at the private schools that would be accepting vouchers. In the first five years of the program, we project that Madison could lose as much as $27 million in state aid. And it’s clear what that will result in. It will result in further cuts to our programs and increased taxes for our citizens.”

The public school advocates are asking legislators to kill Walker’s plans to expand vouchers to new communities and special needs students. They also want state aid increased by $230 per student. They also oppose the Governor’s proposal to create a state board that would authorize charter schools.