Ed Advocacy Update 2025: “The Year of the Kid”


On January 22, Governor Tony Evers delivered the annual State of the State address. In odd-numbered years, the State of the State is often seen as a preview of the budget the governor will introduce about a month later. On Wednesday night, Evers’ address focused significantly on public education, and he declared 2025 the “Year of the Kid.”
State Budget Developments: Summary
After about half of Wisconsin’s school district went to referendum in 2024, Department of Public Instruction introduced its proposal for 2025-27 school funding last November, calling for a $4 billion increase, including boosting special education reimbursements for public schools to the same level as vouchers – 90 percent. State budget discussions ramped up since then, with the appointment of the Joint Finance Committee and the governor’s aforementioned State of the State address. Republican Majority Leaders are calling for most of the state’s $4 billion surplus to go toward tax cuts, while Democratic Minority Leaders are advocating for surplus funds to be used for public school funding (K-12 and higher education), childcare, housing, and health care.
The governor held listening sessions on the budget in December and will unveil his entire budget proposal on February 18. After that, the Joint Finance Committee traditionally holds its own listening sessions in the spring while negotiations around a final budget are underway. The Legislature typically sends its spending plan to the governor’s office sometime in June or July. From there, the governor can veto the plan, send it back to lawmakers, or use his partial veto power to revise portions of the budget before signing it into law.
Legislative Leadership
A new slate of legislators was sworn into office in early January. See if your elected officials are members of the Joint Finance Committee, the Senate Education Committee or the Assembly Education Committee.
Follow your own legislators on social media, including X (formerly Twitter) where most elected officials have a presence, and to sign up for their newsletters. See who represents your district here.
Bills We’re Watching
There are already several bills impacting students, families and schools circulating in the State Capitol. A few are listed below. For a complete listing updated throughout the session, check out the Wisconsin Education Association Council’s Bills We’re Watching.
- School Assessments (LRB 0976-3). Changes current law to require the DPI to use the same cut scores, score ranges, and qualitative descriptions used in 2019-20 as well as other requirements affecting assessment reporting. The Republican bill received support from the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty and is opposed by the Wisconsin State Superintendent.
- Cursive Writing Requirement (AB 937/SB 873). Requires cursive writing in elementary school as part of English Language Standards.
- Healthy School Meals for All (LRB-1300). Reestablishes the policy in effect during the pandemic that ended at the start of the 2022-23 school year, providing all students a nutritious breakfast and lunch regardless of their family finances. This bill was introduced last session as SB 720/AB 754.