Blue Ribbon Commission on School Funding Supports Change

December 19 marked the end of the formal meetings of the Blue Ribbon Commission on School Funding. The Commission put forward "a slew of recommendations" selected and adapted from these LFB papers on topics ranging from per pupil aid to special education reimbursement. Click here for WASB's summary of their recommendations.

The Wisconsin Public Education Network was impressed with both the breadth of consideration of the proposals and the incessantly-repeated goal of the co-chairs (Rep. Joel Kitchens and Sen. Luther Olsen) to find bipartisan support for the recommendations they did make so that they can become law in the next legislative session (either as budget measures or stand-alone bills). Also impressive was the decision to put forward a recommendation that the state meets its 2/3 funding obligation so that the costs of these proposals isn't absorbed by local property tax payers.

WHAT'S NEXT: The Legislative Fiscal Bureau is busy editing the final recommendations to reflect the consensus of the Commission, then those will be submitted to the legislature and the public. You can begin contacting your own lawmakers and making sure they get to work themselves in drafting and co-sponsoring bills and ensuring the passage of the policy that kids need most.