Gov. Scott Walker said on Tuesday his next budget will include special funding for rural school districts and an economic development fund for rural areas.
Walker said his budget will include many of the recommendations of a state Assembly rural schools task force, including boosting so-called “sparsity aid” for school districts that cover a lot of territory but teach relatively few students. Walker said his budget will also increase rural transportation aid.
“Anyone who lives in or near … a rural district knows that there are exceptional costs, all the more often tied into the lack of density of population and the distance — particularly when it comes to busing and other transportation that students have to take to get to various schools,” said Walker.
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The governor also said his budget will set aside $55 million to create a revolving loan fund for regional economic development associations.
Walker will introduce his full budget on Tuesday.
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