WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAU) -- Wausau's state representative is speaking out against the state's school funding formula after a series of cuts was announced for rural school districts under the most recent state aid funding.
Democrat Mandy Wright says that over the past four years, 330 out of Wisconsin’s 424 school districts have had their budgets cut, and that the state's rural schools have been hit the hardest. In the 85th assembly district, Wittenberg-Birnamwood has lost 16% of their funding and Rosholt has lost 31%. Wright says those funding cuts are forcing the burden of paying for schools onto local taxpayers. "We are seeing some pretty dramatic increases in local property taxes around the state. I would say because the state is not meeting its constitutional obligation to fund free, and nearly as equitable as possible, education for children."
Districts like Merrill have been forced to turn to tax levy votes to pay for basic operating costs for the district, and Wright says that harms communities. "It's extremely divisive for a lot of our rural communities when they're forced to go to referendum. Nobody likes to increase property taxes, and so those local referenda really are very hard on our rural communities."
Wright says the state's continued and planned expansion of the private charter voucher system hurts everyone. "Those 32 schools operate only in Milwaukee and Racine. They receive $8000 [per student] guaranteed in state aid, and that funding comes straight off the top of all the public school districts across the state."
Wright isn't the only concerned lawmaker. Senator Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center) is joining her on a series of talks around the state to explain the school funding formulas. Wright and Schultz will be returning to their own districts to give talks once the election season is over.