Overview

I believe that Wisconsin students deserve thriving public schools. The current legislature has underfunded public education in Wisconsin for the last decade by expanding private school vouchers and applying an outdated and unfair school funding formula. I will support legislation that fully and fairly funds public education.

Taxpayer Funded School Vouchers and the up-coming enrollment limit removal

The Wisconsin Parental Choice Program (WPCP), otherwise known as the school voucher program, is funded by local property taxes and limited by enrollment caps. This enrollment cap protects property taxpayers by limiting the amount of vouchers being paid out on tax bills. WPCP setup this way by my opponent who voted for Act 55 in 2015, which implemented a 1% enrollment cap, subsequently increasing by 1% each year beginning in 2017. Part of Act 55 is that the enrollment cap will be fully eliminated in the 2026-2027 academic year.

This ticking time bomb is set in place and ready to explode unless we do something now. This is the last Assembly election until that event takes place.

Financial Impact

Wisconsin has spent over $3.2 billion on taxpayer-funded school vouchers since 2015. In the last year alone, over $570 million was allocated to these vouchers. A significant portion of these funds has gone to students who were already enrolled in private schools, shifting the financial burden onto local property taxpayers.

Academic Performance

Wisconsin’s Public Schools consistently outperform voucher schools on key academic metrics. The charts below show the latest data from the 2023 Forward Exam and ACT scores.

Taxpayer Accountability Concerns

Unlike public schools, voucher schools in Wisconsin are not subject to the same level of transparency and accountability. Public schools have elected school boards, are required to hold public meetings, publish financial statements and comply with open records requests. Voucher schools that use public funds for private education are not subject to the same teaching standards, or reporting standards as public schools; they are not overseen by publicly-elected school boards, required to hold public meetings, or subject to public records laws; they are not necessarily governed by nondiscrimination laws and are not legally required to serve students with disabilities. These schools are also funded “off the top” of the total pot of money designated for schools. This means the more money we give to vouchers, the more we take away from the vast majority of children, who attend public schools. Nearly 80% of students participating in the statewide Wisconsin Parental Choice Program never attended a public school. Taxpayers should know what they are paying for.

Public School Funding

The state of Wisconsin has drastically cut back on funding local schools leaving local property taxpayers to pick up the cost. In 2010, referendum-approved funding for K-12 schools was $180 million and has risen to $650 million in 2023. I’ll work to reverse this trend and make sure we prepare the next generation for what lies ahead.