Wisconsin Communities Call for Restored Funding for Public Schools
Public education advocacy teams from around the state have united through the Wisconsin Public Education Network to issue the following statement:

We represent parents and communities from around Wisconsin who believe that every child deserves equal access to an excellent public education.

Since 1993, our ability to locally control and fund our schools has been restricted by revenue limits. During the last decade, funding has stagnated and revenue limits have actually been frozen for the past two years. Funding for students with disabilities has been capped for eight years and Wisconsin schools are still reeling from the largest funding cuts in history, a cumulative decrease of $2.6 billion since 2011 according to the State of Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

A revenue limit increase of at least $300 per pupil per year, with sufficient aid support from the state, would be a step of good faith toward restoring that lost funding and reinvesting our tax dollars where they belong: in the success of the 850,000-plus children attending Wisconsin’s excellent public schools.

Wisconsin children have paid the price for tax cuts and other state spending long enough. Restoring funding to the public schools that are the heart of our communities should be the first priority in the 2017-2019 budget, and that restoration begins with an increase to the revenue limit of at least $300/student.

Signed,

Advocates for Education of Whitefish Bay

Benders for Better Public Education, West Bend

Central Wisconsin Public School Advocates

Chippewa Valley Association of Educators – Retired (Eau Claire)

Citizen Advocates for Public Education (CAPE), Lake Mills

Citizen Advocates for Public Education (CAPE-MCPASD), Middleton-Cross Plains

Citizens for Educational Excellence – Menomonee Falls

DAWN (the Driftless Area Women’s Network)

Fox Cities Advocates for Public Education

Families United for Spooner Excellence

Green Bay Advocates 4 Public Education

GRUMPS (GRandparents for Madison Public Schools)

Milwaukee Inner City Congregations Allied for Hope (MICAH)

No Vouchers Coalition

Parents for Public Schools – Milwaukee

Project 13 (Eau Claire)

Saint Croix Valley Friends of Public Education

School Funding Reform for Wisconsin (Stevens Point)

Schools and Communities United (Milwaukee)

Stop Special Needs Vouchers

Support Oshkosh Students (S.O.S.)

Support Our Schools (SOS) – SW Wisconsin

Support Our Schools – SOS-Wauwatosa

Support Sun Prairie Schools

Watertown CAPS: Community Advocates 4 Public Schools

YES for Oak Creek Schools

 Groups or organizations who wish to sign on to this statement are invited to contact hdb@WisconsinNetwork.org.