Update: The Joint Finance Committee ended its meeting early on Wednesday morning after voting through the GOP education plan. More coverage to follow.
A Legislature budget committee meeting is still in session at the state Capitol, with a vote pending on state education funding and private voucher school expansion.
Republicans say they want to spend $200 million more on K-12 schools than what Gov. Scott Walker proposed in his budget. Most of that would go toward filling Walker’s cut to schools.
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Most of the money in the GOP plan would come from through an accounting trick involving the school levy tax credit.
Republicans are also adding a special needs voucher scholarship to the budget, a move parents of special needs students have fought for vigorously. Committee Co-Chair Rep. John Nygren said it won’t be mandatory.
“They will still have the opportunity to say no if they choose,” said Nygren. “But there’s parents who are actually asking for this option as well.”
Republicans also want to increase the amount the state pays for all voucher school students. A recent memo suggested that could cost public schools $48 million.
Check out the education omnibus motion made by the committee’s co-chairs here.
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