Wisconsin

While the 2019-2021 budget is an improvement on past funding allocations for both P-12 and Higher Education statewide, it is not a reflection of a bi-partisan collaboration but rather is in part due to Governor Evers' use of executive veto and a constitutional ability to reshape and reallocate funds.

Funding priorities for p-12 and/or higher education

Wisconsin Governor, Tony Evers, led the passage of a "robust reinvestment in higher education"¹ after a five-year decline in state funding. Called the "People's Budget,"² priorities include:

• • A $330 million increase in P-12 general aid and $95 million increase for Special Education

• • A $45 million increase in state funding for the University of Wisconsin System (5% the first year and 1% the second year); Continuance of undergraduate tuition freeze for Wisconsin residents

• • A 1% increase or $25 million for the Wisconsin Technical College System,

• • Additional funding focused on improving post-secondary education access by providing needs based grants for students with low incomes.

Changes to the funding formula for p-12 and/or higher education

There were no significant changes to the funding formula for P-12 education in the 2019-2012 budget. The state legislature's budget allocated an additional $25 per pupil spending per year, setting the per pupil aid at $679 in year one and $704 in year two of the biennium. However, through the executive veto process, the per pupil aid was increased to $742 in year one with an additional $63 increase in year two resulting in the addition of nearly $330 million of general state aid for P-12 schools. An additional $95 million was earmarked for Special Education programs. These were the largest nominal increases for P-12 education spending to a biennium budget since 2005-07.³ Still below the national average of $12,756 in per pupil spending,⁴ in 2019 Wisconsin's per pupil rate is $12,558 up from $11,253 in 2017.

Higher education realized the greatest growth in funding allocations since 2012.⁵ The University of Wisconsin (UW) System received an increase of $45 million to be distributed at 5% funding in the first year and an additional 1% in year two of the budget. The majority of increase supports multiple building projects as well as continuance of the tuition freeze for Wisconsin resident undergraduate education. Additionally, the budget allows for $1 billion in bonding authority for new construction and renovations to the UW's deteriorating infrastructure. Even with these increases, State aid remains below the national average of $7,800 per student at $6,435.⁶

An increase of 1% or $25 million in state general aid was included for the Wisconsin Technical College System. Even with the funding formula changes instituted in the previous budget, this 1% increase is noted as the greatest nominal funding increase since 1993.⁷ Much of the $25 million is intended to bolster the state's workforce readiness initiatives.

Improving access to higher education by through affordability efforts was a major change to the 2019-2021 budget. The budget provides additional grant funds of nearly $17 million to support low income students who plan to pursue a post-secondary education in the state of Wisconsin.

Pressing state issues

The school voucher system, Wisconsin Parental Choice Program, continues to be a divisive issue throughout the state and tends to follow party lines. The 2019-2021 budget failed to curtail the previous budgets' increases in funding al locations sending $7,985 to $8,600 per voucher student to private schools.⁸ This raises equity issues for many public school districts who receive well under this allocation, some like Baraboo School District, who receive as little as $6,611 in per-pupil state aid.

Declining P-20 enrollments is creating funding stress for the state. P-12 enrollments have been in a steady decline since 2006 with grades 9-12 declining as much as 10% and P-8 at 2%.⁹ The aging population, falling birth rates, and the flight of people ages 20-34 from the state are noted factors in the enrollment decline.

While...