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Stoughton-area board to draft letter to Sen. Baldwin urging increased special-education funding
Summary
Board members agreed to have board member Lisa Pew draft a district letter to U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin about special-education funding after hearing about a Democratic state draft bill (LRB6488) and federal funding options; the governance committee will review before submission to meet the senator's deadline.
The Stoughton Area School District Board of Education agreed to draft and circulate a board letter to U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin urging increased special-education funding after a legislative update and board discussion.
"Amend IDEA to ensure parents and school districts can fully collaborate and provide an education that meets the needs of individual students and allocate more funding for students with disabilities that is at least equal to the national average per pupil expenditure for students served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act," Lisa Pew said, quoting the Wisconsin Association of School Boards' (WASB) formal position on the issue. Pew, a board member, presented details of a Democratic draft state bill (LRB6488) that would dedicate roughly $1.6 billion of the state surplus to guarantee special-education reimbursement at 60% and boost equalization aid in 2026–27.
Pew told the board she also received a request from U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin asking community organizations to identify federal-appropriations priorities and that WASB policy director Chris Kulo said districts may appropriately request federal special-education funding through that process. Pew said education advocates are discussing a long-range federal goal of 40% reimbursement by 2040 and encouraged districts to submit organizational requests.
Board members debated whether a single small district should submit an independent request or coordinate with regional partners and associations. With a short response window, the board settled on a practical approach: Pew will draft language and circulate it to the governance committee for review and approval so the district can send a coordinated, timely submission on behalf of the board.
The board noted the senator's deadline in the meeting and asked that the governance committee review the draft quickly so the letter can be sent from the district. The action is an advocacy step; no formal funding commitment or vote of policy adoption occurred at this meeting.
What happens next: Pew will draft the letter and circulate it to the governance committee for review and approval; board members were also encouraged to contact legislators about the state draft bill, LRB6488.
