Saying Wisconsin public schools are at a “critical juncture,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jill Underly called for more reliable school funding Thursday and said the state Legislature is choosing instead to “starve kids” of opportunities.
“Today, our schools are making do, because that is what they have become accustomed to doing. And because they have no other choice,” Underly said at her annual state of education address at the state Capitol in Madison. “But that’s not good enough for our state, and it’s definitely not good enough for our kids.”
Specifically mentioning the state budget surplus that’s projected at more than $5 billion, Underly said that, while public schools are operating today thanks to investments made decades ago, the future may tell a different story if the state doesn’t infuse money and resources into students now.
“If our schools were cars, then the last time we filled the gas tank all the way was decades ago,” she said.
As she outlined the ways state funding has lacked for public schools and failed to keep up with inflation over the past dozen years, Underly specified the need to infuse money into supporting student mental health.
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Providing students with mental health services isn’t free, Underly said,…
