Stoughton board hears federal and state funding update as lawmakers move FY2026 bills

At a board meeting, district staff reported that the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee approved a FY2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education spending bill that would provide approximately $79,000,000,000 in discretionary funding for the U.S. Department of Education, and that Wisconsin is expected to receive about $72,000,000 of previously withheld K–12 funds.

The update said the Senate committeelanguage preserves funding for K–12 formula and competitive grants, career and technical education and adult education programs and includes requirements intended to ensure the Department of Education maintains staff to carry out statutory responsibilities and makes formula grants available to states on time.

The presenter said the Senate bill must still pass the full Senate and be reconciled with the House, and that the House version is expected to be less generous to education investments. On state funding, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau memo summarized how the new biennial budget affects district aids: the presenter gave estimates that Stoughton would see about $1,700,000 more in state aid in the 2025-26 school year compared with 2024-25 and about $2,700,000 more in 2026-27 over 2024-25.

A board member noted broader reporting from the Wisconsin Policy Forum that Wisconsin has fallen in national per-pupil spending rankings and cited inflation and state tax priorities as factors. The presenter reiterated the district had sent a letter thanking local legislators for support in the last budget.

The board did not take action on the federal or state items during the meeting; the report was informational.