There’s a local government funding plan in the Wisconsin state legislature right now. It includes a massive financial increase in funding for private schools. Republican lawmakers are calling it a huge win, while public school teachers aren’t too thrilled.
Here’s Five Fast Facts on Wisconsin’s Private School Funding:
- 🏫 Cash Flow - Funding is bumped from $8,400 to $9,500 per K-8 student. High schools go from $9,045 to $12,000 per student.
- 🧮 Math - The funding is a 13% increase for K-8 voucher schools and a 33% increase to private voucher high schools, the largest increase since the beginning of the school choice push.
- 🎒Add it Up - Republicans say this balances out funding, claiming the state gives public schools $14K per student. The math is off, however. Public schools receive $16,895 per student, with only $7,728 coming from the state.
- 🚌 Absent - There is still a statewide teacher shortage, with public schools facing greater losses. By way of comparison, there are 355 open positions at 133 private schools, while the Milwaukee school district alone has 230 vacancies and Madison’s school district is short 140 teachers.
- 👮 Police Men - The plan also requires Milwaukee Public Schools to hire 25 police officers as school resource officers with zero state funding. That could cost the district as much as $1M. No other district in the state has this requirement.
🔥Bottom line: Public schools are facing a tough road ahead with bus driver shortages, teacher shortages, and nurse shortages. With further and further funding going to private schools, that gap is going to widen. Many fear public school students are going to be left behind but others think this is the competition schools need to shape up. Is this a good plan?
What do you think of the issue?
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