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Board members warn state funding shortfalls, discuss lawsuit and voucher transparency
Summary
Board member Fisher and delegate Meredith Huey told the McFarland School Board the state’s school-funding system is strained, describing a pending lawsuit that challenges whether the state meets its constitutional duty and urging greater transparency about voucher program dollars.
Board member Fisher told the McFarland School Board on July 6 that recent litigation challenges whether the state is meeting its constitutional obligation to provide equal educational opportunities.
"The state has not been, fulfilling its constitutional obligation to guaranteeing public education for all of its students or at least not doing it in a way that is equal for everyone," Fisher said during a legislative and legal update, describing a lawsuit that lists the legislature and members of the joint finance committee among defendants.
The board heard historical funding comparisons Fisher cited: in earlier decades the state provided roughly $2 for every $1 of local property-tax funding; that ratio has fallen to about $1.15 statewide, and he said in some rural areas the state now pays about $0.86 per local dollar. He also cited a long-term decline in state support for special education, noting it was about 80% in the 1980s and is now near 30%.
Meredith Huey, the district’s CISA 2 delegate, echoed concerns about the broader funding picture after returning from a mid-June delegate convention. "The state education funding system is just broken," she said, and described ongoing local and state efforts to brief new legislators on school-finance complexity.
Fisher also described a Wisconsin Public Education Network effort to build a public toolkit so districts can show taxpayers how much local revenue is supporting voucher programs; he cited a figure of $1,800,000,000 for the state voucher program and urged county-level coordination to produce local transparency measures.
Board members did not take action on the lawsuit or legislative items at the meeting; the presentation was informational. Trustees and staff said the district will continue monitoring state aid estimates (the Department of Public Instruction will finalize aid on Oct. 15) and advocate for clarity about how voucher dollars affect local revenue.
The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Aug. 3, when members said they expect continuing discussion about state aid and local budget planning.
