A new report shows Wisconsin’s spending on education continues to fall behind the national average.
The Wisconsin Policy Forum study showed the state spent less than $15,000 per student in 2023, nearly 10% less than the national average.
JoEllen Pauls, retired special education teacher in the Middleton Cross Plains Area School District, said the state of public school funding in Wisconsin is an ongoing crisis the current state budget guarantees will continue.
"There is no per-pupil increase for two years. No increase," Pauls pointed out. "That's a funding freeze. And that puts a lot of districts in a hard place, scrambling to determine, ‘how do we even just get through this school year?'"
Among Midwestern states, Wisconsin ranked first in per-pupil spending on public schools back in 2002. According to the report, its ranking has since dropped to seventh among Midwestern states and 26th nationwide.
In the past five years, more than half of Wisconsin's public schools have held referendums to allow districts to increase property taxes to cover basic costs for schools. Pauls noted where those referendums have failed, districts face difficult decisions about increasing class sizes and reducing staff.
"Honestly, it's an insult to the students in our public schools," Pauls contended. "For lack of a better word, it's irresponsible, it's a shirking of our legislators' duty to our communities and to our state's future."
Pauls explained she retired due to increased class sizes, staffing shortages, inconsistent leadership and relaxed licensure requirements. Despite persistent challenges, she believes teachers continue to provide the best education possible with limited resources.
"We need to listen to our educators," Pauls stressed. "We need to respond to what they're telling us needs to happen in our schools. Because what they're asking for, they're asking for the students, because they know this is what our students need."
Pauls added student mental health support and special education continue to be poorly funded in the current state budget. Wisconsin was also grappling with losing $72 million due to a federal K-12 funding freeze but administration officials said they now plan to release those funds.
