Teachers, Students Make Final Push For Evers’ Education Budget

Dozens of students, teachers and school advocates rallied at the state Capitol on Tuesday, urging Republican lawmakers to move closer to Gov. Tony Evers’ proposal for school funding.

The protesters walked 60 miles from Palmyra to the Capitol over the course of several days to show their support for Evers’ proposal to increase K-12 school funding in Wisconsin by $1.4 billion.

The budget approved by Republican lawmakers increases school funding by $500 million, roughly $900 million less than Evers wanted.

Raaven-Alysa Nash, who just graduated from a Milwaukee public school, spoke at the Capitol rally.

“Parents shouldn’t have to figure ways to get their kids into a ‘good school’ so they can go to college,” Nash said. “Every school should be a ‘good school.’”

Anna Hauser, the parent of a student with special needs in the Madison Metropolitan School District, called on lawmakers to support the $600 million increase for special education programs in Evers’ plan. Republicans proposed about $100 million.

“We’re standing here today saying we’re not OK with this. We will not stop fighting,” Hauser said. “Our children deserve better. Even if we keep pushing past this budget, I really don’t care. We’re just going to keep going. We’re going to be heard.”

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Parents and students from the Palmyra-Eagle School District stood front and center for the event. Their small, rural district is on the precipice of closing, following a failed funding referendum earlier this year.

“If one school fails, we all fail,” said Tara LeRoy, a parent in the district. “Our children and our future walk the halls of our schools.”

Evers issued a statement in support of the rally Tuesday afternoon.

“There’s still time for Republicans to put politics aside and to do the right thing for our kids, our schools and our educators, and I hope they’ll listen to what the people of our state are saying loud and clear today,” Evers said.

The event occurred as state Assembly lawmakers began final debate on the state’s two-year spending plan.

The Senate is scheduled to vote Wednesday on the budget. Evers hasn’t said whether or not he will veto the plan.