Walker to Increase School Funding $649 Million

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By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | February 6, 2017

From The Wheeler Report . . .

In his 2017-19 state budget proposal, Governor Walker proposes spending an additional $649 million in new state aids for all Wisconsin K-12 schools. In a briefing, Walker shared some details of his proposal. Walker said he is “putting more money into K-12 than has ever been invested.” Walker highlighted a “reform dividend” saying that the reforms his administration put in place over the past six years, combined with the economic climate of the state, made it possible to invest now. When asked where this budget puts the state towards two-thirds funding, Walker’s aide said the second year of the biennium would be at 64.6 percent, emphasizing that the percentage hasn’t been that high since it was at 65.8 percent in FY2009. Walker said Educational Savings Accounts (ESA) are not included in the budget. School choice increases are calculated through a formula that uses the K-12 increase and property levy credit to determine a percentage. That percentage is then applied to school choice. While school choice would also receive an increase from this budget, Walker declined to say if he would make any changes to the formula that controls the school choice cap.

Per Pupil State Aid

Walker proposes increasing per-pupil aid by $200 in 2017-18, and $204 in 2018-19. Walker said that is a $509.2 million increase in per-pupil state aid. The aid will be a categorical aid increase, not general revenue aid increases.

Walker emphasized, “This budget does just that (gives the per-pupil increase DPI Superintendent Evers asked for in his agency budget request). The main distinction between what they proposed and we did is we still maintained our property tax relief at the same time we provide the additional money for the schools. Schools will get the ability to spend that additional amount, but we maintain our commitment. We fund the property tax relief first.”

Support for Milwaukee Schools

Walker proposes providing $5.6 million in FY18-19 for performance-based funding as an incentive for failing schools which would be available to public, charter, and choice schools in the Milwaukee Public School District.
Walker proposes $500,000 for the Department of Children and Families and Schools Together (FAST) Mental Health Initiative in Milwaukee schools. The proposal would provide $250,000 in TANF funding in each fiscal year for FAST.
Walker proposes funding Milwaukee Public School summer school programs with grants. The proposal budgets $1.4 million in each fiscal year for grants to Milwaukee schools.

Walker said he is looking to put incentives in place, mainly for MPS but other schools could be eligible, for schools that were identified as “not meeting expectations.” Walker highlighted that the funds would be tied into the report cards, and the incentives would be for growth in performance. Walker clarified that the performance grants would not be from the school base funding, it would be add-on funding once earned. When asked about Milwaukee governance, Walker said he would not change Milwaukee governance, but emphasized that the grants are a “way to provide an incentive to change as opposed to a governance change.”

Walker said an investment was being made into the Milwaukee Summer School Program in an effort to help some of the education retention that is lost over the summer months. When asked about year-round schooling, Walker said that is a local decision.

Children’s Mental Health

Walker proposes creating a categorical aid program of $3 million to pay for social work expenditures of school districts and independent charter schools.
Walker proposes creating a grant of $2.5 million to help connect youth to mental health services.
Walker proposes providing $1 million to provide mental health screening and intervention services by supporting training opportunities for school district and independent charter school employees.

Workforce Readiness

Walker proposes creating the Early College Credit Program which would combine the Youth Options and Course Options programs into a single structure allowing Wisconsin students to receive college credit while also earning their high school diploma. The program would provide financial support for college credit by providing $1,150,300 in FY2017-18 and $1,753,500 in FY2018-19 to reduce the per credit costs to schools and students.
Walker proposes providing $7.6 million for special education transitional jobs programs. The proposal provides $2.6 million in FY2017-18 and $3.5 million in FY2018-19 to fund awards to school districts which help students with disabilities obtain employment. An additional $1.5 million in FY2018-19 will be available to help school districts connect students with disabilities to employment.

Walker said, “For us it is real simple, workforce is our number one issue. The most important part of preparing the workforce is making sure the education system is properly vested. We try to help with early college credit, and in other ways for them to not just graduate from high school but for apprenticeships, a technical college associate degree, an undergraduate degree, or postgraduate work. We know there are tremendous workforce needs in this state and this tackles this head on.”

Student Safety

Walker proposes providing $150,000 in each year of the biennium for “Act Now!”. The program is an e-learning, game-based curriculum developed by Children’s Hospital with DPI to help fight bullying. Per Walker’s release, the funding will allow Children’s Hospital to continue serving children K4-8, and develop expansion plans.

Rural Schools Initiative

Walker had released his rural schools initiative earlier in the week, but they were also included in the education package briefing.

Sparsity Aid.
- Increase Sparsity Aid by $20 million, bringing total Sparsity Aid to $55.4 million over the biennium.
- Increase per pupil reimbursement rates for school which previously qualified for Sparsity Aid to $400 per pupil.
- Create a new $100 per pupil tier in Sparsity Aid for districts with 746-1000 pupils.
Transportation Aid.
- Provide 100% reimbursement for rural school districts in the High Cost Transportation Aid with $25.4 million over the biennium.
- Provide $92,000 over the biennium for pupil transportation and increase reimbursement rates for pupil transportation for $365 for 12+ miles, $10 for 2-5 miles in summer school, and $20 for 5+ miles in summer school.
Broadband Investment.
- Increase funding for Teacher Training Grants through Technology for Educational Achievement (TEACH) by $22.5 million. This allows schools to apply for grants for allowable costs under the Infrastructure Grant Program.
- The Teacher Training Grant Program will continue to be funded at $3 million over the biennium. This allows school districts to apply for grants for allowable costs of training teachers to use educational technology.
- Allow school districts to apply for TEACH grants for mobile hot spots on buses and mobile hot spots for students to take home.
- Increase the Broadband Expansion Grant Program by $13 million.
Opportunity to Recruit and Retain Teachers.
- Include a provision that requires the UW Flex Option to develop a program to train paraprofessional currently working in schools.
- Wisconsin Fast Forward grant funding may be available for school districts to apply for grants for help pay tuition for paraprofessionals getting training.
- Clarify stat law to permit a district to compensate student teachers.
Flexibility Through School District Shared Services.
- Allow school districts to enter into agreement to share or jointly provide: Reading Specialist, Bilingual-Bicultural Education Programs, Lifesaving Skill Instruction, Emergency Nursing Services, Attendance Officer, Guidance and Counseling, Technical Preparation Programs, and Services for Gifted and Talented Pupils.
Investment for Fabrication Laboratories (FAB LABS).
- Require the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to allocate $1 million over the biennium for the Fabrication Laboratories Grant Program.