Public Schools Looking At Less State Aid Over Next Two Years

Public school officials are expressing concerns about a possible $127 million cut in state funding.

Gov. Scott Walker proposed a $150 per student cut in state aid for the first year of his proposed two-year budget.

Dan Rossmiller is the Government Relations Director at the Wisconsin Association of School Boards. He said the reduction is significant enough to be felt statewide.

“If you look at the two-year budget, it’s relatively flat but if you look at the first year of the budget there is a definite cut,” Rossmiller said. “There’s a $150 per-pupil cut to every district of the state. It’s a real cut that can not be made up by going to property taxes without a referendum.”

Rossmiller said the second year of the budget would increase spending by $165 per student. However, the School Administrators Alliance estimates that would still result in a net loss of $135 in aid per student over the course of the biennium.

Walker has said he would be willing to add more money for public education to the budget if more money becomes available and as long as his proposed property tax cut is preserved.