WEAC Statement on School Funding Lawsuit
WEAC Leads Coalition on School Funding Lawsuit
A coalition of organizations and individuals who care about the students in Wisconsin’s public schools, including WEAC and four WEAC local associations, has filed a lawsuit to compel the state government to meet its constitutional and legal responsibilities to adequately and equitably fund public education.
The state Constitution requires the state to provide a free, sound, uniform education to all students, and a state Supreme Court decision on a WEAC lawsuit from 2000 requires the state to make special allowances for districts with disproportionate numbers of disabled students, economically disadvantaged students, and students with limited English language skills. The plaintiffs are suing the state government because it is not doing this and has not done this for a long time.
“As a public school teacher, I’ve watched my students and colleagues give all they have while the state walks away from its basic duty to fund our schools,” WEAC President Peggy Wirtz-Olsen said. “Programs to feed children, provide mental health services and innovate in education are cut every year, and that hurts our communities. WEAC is drawing a line in the sand with this lawsuit during Public Schools Week to demand a fix to this broken school funding system, so every child has a real shot at success. Our students, our neighborhoods and our future are too important to shortchange.”
The last state budget process began with a surplus of more than $4 billion and school funding lagging inflation by more than 20 percent. Record numbers of school districts were going to referendum just to meet their basic costs. The resulting budget was an enormous disappointment to public school supporters, and it provided no solutions to the ongoing funding crisis.
While public schools continue to lose ground to inflation, unaccountable private voucher schools have enjoyed record funding increases from the state. The state now funds mandated special education costs at around 35 percent for public schools while it funds vouchers at 90 percent even though 95 percent of the state’s special education students are in public schools.
“It shouldn’t take a lawsuit to get elected officials to do the right thing,” Wirtz-Olsen said. “But when the state is forced to meet its obligations instead of shifting costs onto property taxpayers, students will finally have the public schools they deserve.”
Fair Funding
Wisconsin has collected billions in tax dollars that some lawmakers refuse to release to public schools, forcing half of state districts in 2024 to referendum to meet basic student needs. It doesn’t have to be this way.
Special Education Equity
It’s morally wrong that Wisconsin uses taxpayer dollars to fund 90 percent of special needs for private voucher schools while the local public schools that serve 95 percent of special needs students are reimbursed less than 30 percent.
Vouchers
Vouchers take funding from public schools while leaving behind students with disabilities, students of color, and students in rural communities without private school options.