By Michael Bonds, Ph.D.
President, Milwaukee Board of School Directors
Dr. Michael Bonds
Every two years, the governor of the State of Wisconsin delivers a budget address.
This address is important because it defines the funding priorities for Wisconsin.
It’s a symbol of what the governor feels is important to keep Wisconsin moving forward.
Wisconsin educators were paying close attention for any hints of what might be contained in Governor Scott Walker’s budget.
In order to sustain the basic quality of education in the state, educators knew they needed a funding increase that at least kept up with the rate of inflation.
When the cost to educate students rises faster than funding, schools are forced to make difficult choices that may be unsustainable.
Earlier this month, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker unveiled his proposed 2016-17 biennial budget to a joint session of the Wisconsin Legislature. The $68.2 billion budget contains details on Governor Walker’s priorities for the next two years.
As the time for the release of the Governor’s budget drew closer, the rumor began to leak out that funding would be flat and districts began to look at what options would do the least harm to the classroom.
When Governor Walker unveiled his proposed budget earlier this month, school districts around the state were surprised.
Not only was there no increase to keep up with inflation, per-pupil funding was actually cut by $150 per student in every school district in Wisconsin.
The proposed cuts total $127 million. This budget has school districts from across the state concerned about the impact this budget has on students.
The impact for Milwaukee Public Schools is an outright cut of $12.1 million in aid for the 2015-16 school year. In addition, due to increasing costs associated with educating students, the district’s cost to continue budget was already projected to be $11 million short.
As we build the MPS budget, we’ll make every effort to keep the impact of the Governor’s budget cuts as far from the classroom as possible.
The governor’s budget also proposes ending the popular Chapter 220 program which has successfully promoted integration for more than 20 years in a metropolitan area that is one of the most segregated in the entire country.
Chapter 220 allows white suburban students to enroll in MPS and minority students from MPS can attend suburban schools. Details of how the Chapter 220 program would end are unclear.
Governor Walker’s proposed budget also removes local control from all 424 public school districts in Wisconsin by establishing a statewide charter school authorization board. This bypasses locallyelected school boards and the citizens who elected them.
The Governor did propose spending additional resources in one area of education – removing the enrollment cap statewide on the voucher program. His plan would force public school districts statewide to pay for the expansion by reducing general state aid to public schools, which takes even more dollars out of public school classrooms.
If you are concerned about the budget, call the Wisconsin Legislative Hotline at 1-800-362-9472. Let your representatives know public schools need the financial tools to be successful for all students.