Madison, WI – On Tuesday, DPI Superintendent Jill Underly claimed that the most recent school referendums prove that the State of Wisconsin is underfunding our public schools. Rep. Allen released the following statement:
“School referendums in Wisconsin are working. These referendums keep the power and choice for how to spend tax dollars with people in local communities.
“Instead of a one size fits all approach to the 421 school districts in our state, school referendums allow for local communities to weigh in on decisions that most affect them. In this most recent election, only 29% of school districts went to referendum and 22% of the proposed referendums failed. These referendums proved that the will of the people does not always agree or align with the school administrators who want more taxpayer money.
“School referendums also protect the taxpayers of the other 400 some school districts from paying for the proposed increase of one district. The total proposed referendum spending across all 121 districts was nearly $4.3 billion! The referendums that failed saved those local taxpayers $883 million, and the referendums that passed will be felt principally by the local communities that voted for them instead of all the state taxpayers who did not get a chance to vote.
“School referendums give local districts the right to ask the local tax payer to pay more in taxes. This is exactly as it should be.”
The 2023-25 budget increased per-pupil aid and spent a record high amount on school funding.
