LETTER: Skimping on special ed funding hurts all public school students

To Ozaukee Press:

The Port Washington-Saukville Education Association joins the Wisconsin Public Education Network in its call to state legislators to “stop playing politics with our kids and their public education.”  

We stand with education advocates all over the state as we ask legislators to do what is right and fund our public schools. Without providing fair and equitable funding, the legislators are putting our schools at risk.    

The proposed 2021-23 state budget for education approved by the Joint Finance Committee does not meet basic inflationary benchmarks for funding K-12 schools. The Joint Finance proposal of tax breaks instead of school funding is not equitable and definitely does not support our public schools.

The one-time federal funding from the American Rescue Plan is not meant to relieve the state of its responsibility. New state revenue projections are $4.4 billion higher than previously estimated, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau. The state now has $5.8 billion available for the 2021-23 budget. With this new revenue, lawmakers can invest in students by funding general and per-pupil aid, special education, broadband and mental health.

Wisconsin citizens asked for a gap-closing budget—with at least 60% reimbursement for special education—at the public hearings around the state. Those calls were rejected. The budget on the table keeps status-quo funding for special ed (30% was the same unmet goal of the last budget) and provides zero increase in general aid and revenue limits.

Failure to adjust for inflation is a cut to education funding. Failure to raise revenue limits means any new state aid is offset by increases to local property taxes.

It is fiscally irresponsible to not use this moment to close the special education funding gap. If special education is not properly funded, it leads to worse educational outcomes for all students. Because districts are required by law to provide “free appropriate public education,” they end up taking funding that is intended for regular education to fill in the gaps caused by underfunding special education.

Public schools are also required to provide 50% of the services needed to special education students who go to private school, despite the fact that private schools get reimbursed at a 90% rate and the public school district receives no funding for those students.

Parents, education professionals and public schools have explained their concern for the mental health of all children in Wisconsin. Not providing adequate funds for our public schools is not the way to help address mental health issues in our schools.  

Children, families in our public schools and our community count on public schools for a multitude of services besides their education. Our public schools have been there for the families and children everyday through this entire crisis. Now everyone in public education needs to count on the state Legislature to support all of Wisconsin’s pre-K-12 public education students by providing for the important investments needed in the state budget. The Legislature needs to do its job and close the funding gaps in public education.

We urge legislators to take the right actions for our public schools by rejecting the Joint Finance education budget and instead fund our public schools.

Nathan Ugoretz
Advocacy chair
Port Washington-Saukville
Education Association