This document discusses education in Wisconsin. It provides statistics on Wisconsin's education system, including that Wisconsin is tied for second in ACT scores and ranks 10th for talent in the workforce. However, it also notes that Wisconsin has the largest achievement gap between black and white students in the nation. The document examines funding for K-12 education in Wisconsin and how state funding per pupil has decreased when adjusted for inflation. It also discusses the impacts of funding cuts, including reductions in staffing levels. The document advocates for reforms to the school funding formula to make it more equitable and sustainable.

1. Representative Mandy Wright
85th Assembly District of
Wisconsin

2. Belle and “Fighting Bob” La Follette
The UW System and Extensions, higher
learning applied to our communities
The Wisconsin Idea, higher learning
applied to our legislature
Wisconsin Technical Colleges
Wisconsin’s first Normal School opened in
Platteville in 1866
Public funding for public education as a
public service
Wisconsin’s Constitution includes the right
to a free and appropriate public education
for all students, ages 4-20

3.  Wisconsin is tied for second in ACT scores
 Wisconsin has one of the highest High School
Graduation Rates at 87.5%
 Wisconsin is ranked #10 for talent in the
workforce (WEDC)
 86% of our rated schools meet expectations or
better, 4% fail to meet expectations (DPI)

4. •Wisconsin spends 34.4% of our state General Purpose
Revenue on K12 education
•Wisconsin has the Largest
Achievement Gap
between black and white
students in the Nation

5.  58 Rankings of the States 2012
 1. WYOMING 604
 2. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 542
 3. KANSAS 414
 4. ALASKA 335
 5. TEXAS 320
 6. NEW YORK 315
 7. NEW MEXICO 308
 8. UTAH 278
 9. IOWA 266
 10. SOUTH CAROLINA 261
 11. WASHINGTON 225
 12. DELAWARE 215
 13. NORTH DAKOTA 212
 14. OHIO 212
 15. MARYLAND 205
 16. ARKANSAS 204
 17. NEBRASKA 203
 18. COLORADO 201
 UNITED STATES 195
 19. NEW JERSEY 194
 20. CALIFORNIA 192
 21. GEORGIA 187
 22. MINNESOTA 179
 SOUTH DAKOTA 179
 24. KENTUCKY 177
 25. PENNSYLVANIA 174
 26. LOUISIANA 169
 27. VIRGINIA 168
 28. ALABAMA 164
 29. FLORIDA 157
 30. MISSOURI 155
 31. ILLINOIS 152
 32. HAWAII 151
 33. CONNECTICUT 150
 34. OREGON 150
 35. INDIANA 143
 36. MISSISSIPPI 142
 37. NEVADA 141
 38. OKLAHOMA 140
 39. NORTH CAROLINA 128
 40. MICHIGAN 122
 41. MASSACHUSETTS 116
 42. ARIZONA 112
 43. MONTANA 111
 44. WISCONSIN 110
 45. MAINE 107
 46. VERMONT 103
 47. WEST VIRGINIA 103
 48. TENNESSEE 97
 49. NEW HAMPSHIRE 96
 50. IDAHO 86
 51. RHODE ISLAND 56
 MEDIAN 169
 RANGE 548
 SDEV. 105
 CV 54
 U.S. Census Bureau (2012d). K–12 = "Elementary and Secondary" (see
 Glossary).

6. Source: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction & University of Wisconsin –Madison, Applied Population Laboratory.
Raw Data Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) 2009. http://nces.ed.gov/
Native American,
0.013
Asian, 0.028
Black, 0.094
Hispanic, 0.033
0
0.02
0.04
0.06
0.08
0.1
0.12
0.14
0.16
0.18
year
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
PopulationProportion
Proportions of Students of Color inWisconsin
(1997-2019)

7. 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Fails to Meet
Expectations
Meets Few
Expectations
Meets
Expectations
Exceeds
Expectations
Significantly
Exceeds
Expectations
% Amer. Ind. % Asian % Black % Hispanic % White

8. Source: Wisconsin
Department of Public
Instruction. School Finance
Maps.
http://dpi.wi.gov/sfs/maps.ht
ml
In many rural
districts, more
than half the
students are
eligible for
free-and-
reduce lunch.
Wisconsin
FRL Rate
Doubles
2001: 21%
2012: 43%

9. There is a very strong
correlation between poverty
and school performance.
Avg. FRL
HIGH-poverty,
LOW-performing schools
LOW-poverty,
HIGH-performing
schools

11. Local
(Property
Tax)
$4.6 Billion
43%
State
$4.7 Billion
44%
Federal
$0.9 Billion
9%
Other
Revenue
$0.4 Billion
4%
Revenue
$10.8 Billion
 87% of schools
funds come from
state and local
sources.
 State and local
funding efforts
are roughly split
50-50.

12. Property Tax
Levy
State
Equalization
Aid
Revenue
Limit
Categorical
Aid
Federal
Funds
Other
Revenue
Outside the Revenue Limit

13. ($600)
($500)
($400)
($300)
($200)
($100)
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
Change in Per-Pupil Revenue Over Time
"Psuedo-General" Categorical Aid Revenue Limit Change

14. 1993 Adjusted
Dollars
1993 Adjusted
Dollars
1993 Adjusted
Dollars
1993 Adjusted
Dollars
1993 Adjusted
Dollars
1993 Adjusted
Dollars
1993 Adjusted
Dollars
1993 Adjusted
Dollars
1993 Adjusted
Dollars
1993 Adjusted
Dollars
1993 Adjusted
Dollars
1993 Adjusted
Dollars
1993 Adjusted
Dollars
1993 Adjusted
Dollars
1993 Adjusted
Dollars
1993 Adjusted
Dollars
1993 Adjusted
Dollars
1993 Adjusted
Dollars
1993 Adjusted
Dollars
Nominal DollarsNominal DollarsNominal DollarsNominal DollarsNominal DollarsNominal DollarsNominal DollarsNominal DollarsNominal DollarsNominal DollarsNominal DollarsNominal DollarsNominal DollarsNominal DollarsNominal DollarsNominal DollarsNominal DollarsNominal DollarsNominal Dollars
$2,500
$3,500
$4,500
$5,500
$6,500
1993-94
1994-95
1995-96
1996-97
1997-98
1998-99
1999-00
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
Year
StateDollarsPerFTE
Nominal v. Inflation Adjusted State Aid
Per FTE (1993 $s)
After accounting for
inflation, general aid
per pupil was at least
$500 less in 2011-12
than it was in 2000-01.

15. Reimbursement
rates for
special education
(36% to 26%) and
bilingual-bicultural
(18% to 8%)
services have
dropped 10
percentage points
since 2000-01.

16. -1800
-1600
-1400
-1200
-1000
-800
-600
-400
-200
0
200
400
Teachers Aides Administrators Support Staff
-599
-355
26
215
-690
-153
-43
-130
-1,676
-812
-175
-785
2009-10 2010-11 2011-12
Wisconsin schools cut more than 3,000 educators
during the Great Recession.

17.  Wisconsin has cut $1.2 Billion from Public
Schools since 2010
 All 424 Public School Districts across the state
are forced to spend 1.5% of their state funds on
“2R Independent Charter” schools that operate
only in Milwaukee and Racine
 Wisconsin is spending $420 Million public
dollars on private education in this budget:
• $30 Million to income tax cuts for parents sending their
children to private schools, disproportionately helps
those with higher incomes
• Statewide expansion of Vouchers - $6,442/student… GOP
calling for “A voucher in every backpack.”

18. District Vote Date Amount Passed/Failed Purpose
Delavan-Darien (1380) 4/1/2014 2,100,000 Failed Exceed revenue for operation costs
Lodi (3150) 4/1/2014 2,850,000 Passed Fund general operations
Luck (3213) 4/1/2014 1,500,000 Passed Operating costs
Markesan (3325) 4/1/2014 2,780,000 Failed Operating costs
Monticello (3696) 4/1/2014 5,850,000 Passed Operating costs
Oakfield 4/1/2014 6,600,000 Passed Operating costs
Onalaska (4095) 2/18/2014 10,100,000 Passed Exceed revenue for operations
Onalaska (4095) 2/18/2014 2,500,000 Passed
Exceed revenue for technology
expenses
Oshkosh Area (4179) 4/1/2014 27,650,000 Passed
Operating & maintenance costs,
acquisition of tech equipment
Owen-Withee (4207) 4/1/2014 1,500,000 Passed Exceed revenue for operation costs
Prescott (4578) 4/1/2014 440,000 Passed Exceed revenue for operation costs
River Ridge (4904) 2/18/2014 750,000 Passed Exceed revenue for operating costs
Siren (5376) 4/1/2014 1,250,000 Failed
Maintain current levels of programs &
operations
Stockbridge (5614) 2/18/2014 600,000 Passed
Exceed revenue cap for operational
costs
Stoughton Area (5621) 4/1/2014 7,050,000 Passed
Exceed revenue cap for operational
costs
Tomah Area (5747) 4/1/2014 2,550,000 Failed
Sustain ed programs and maintain
current operational expenses
Wheatland J1 (6412) 4/1/2014 3,000,000 Failed
Maintain current levels of programs &
operations
White Lake (6440) 4/1/2014 750,000 Failed General operations

19.  workforce training
Wisconsin has twice the incarceration
rates as Minnesota
Of the Millions in tax breaks Wisconsin
has passed in this session, has it actually
led to higher property taxes for those
who voted to keep their school doors
open?

20.  THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Republican Party of
Wisconsin, in convention assembled: Urges that parents of
school-age children be given vouchers or tax credits
designed to give all parents equal freedom of choice in
education without regard to their financial means; and
 Calls for the state legislature to eliminate funding of 4-year-
old kindergarten; and
 Urges legislation adopting alternative standards for teacher
licensing that do not require a degree in education or
student-teaching experience; and
 Opposes the adoption and implementation of Common Core
Standards as well as the International Baccalaureate
Curriculum in the Wisconsin school system; and
 Supports allowing properly trained adult staff to be armed in
public schools.

21. Increased Sparsity Funding
TEACH II (technology)
Rural School Teacher Loan Forgiveness
Wrap-around services
30% reimbursement for Special
Education

22. Enact a school funding formula that is:
• fair, sustainable, transparent;
• strengthens rural and declining enrollment schools;and
• politically viable.
Increase revenue limits At least $225/pupil
Holds the line on property taxes Statewide net tax 0% (gross tax -18%)
Guarantees state funding
for every student
Minimum $3,000/pupil
Accounts for family income and
poverty
Poverty weighting: 30% or 0.3 FTE per
student
Provides predictable growth in state
aid
2% or CPI
Increase hold harmless: 90% prior year
Secondary cost ceiling = state average
Sends all state aid directly to schools Move the School Levy Tax Credit into the aid
formula, reducing district levies
Same or better for all districts Statewide 95% of districts increase (402 of
424); all others held harmless

23. Public schools educate every child. An
educated citizenry benefits us all.
Public schools must follow Federal
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA)
Public schools are accountable and locally
controlled

25.  Advocate! You have plenty of information to
write letters to the editor, talk to friends, speak
out on social media.
 Run for office. We need people of integrity at
all levels.
 Support your candidate. Learn their positions
and hold them accountable. Get involved in
campaigns, it matters.