Across Wisconsin, community members are speaking out in support of a landmark lawsuit against the Wisconsin Legislature for failing to adequately fund public schools. Highlights from news stories related to the effort and the Fund Wisconsin Public Schools coalition are below:
Rachel Snyder said, “We are pleased the court has continued to keep this case focused on its core purpose: whether Wisconsin is fulfilling its constitutional obligation to adequately fund public schools. Today’s ruling clears the way for the case to move forward on the merits.”
“I think our taxpayers, our citizens, our voters are just really fatigued with having to be asked to vote to increase their taxes,” said Necedah Area School District Superintendent Tanya Kotlowski.
This article covers the imminent first deadline in the Law Forward lawsuit that aims to dramatically shift Wisconsin’s school funding system.
For the Record's Elly Laliberte sat down with Law Forward General Counsel Jeff Mandell to break down that argument claiming the Wisconsin legislature is failing to uphold the state constitution’s requirement that all children be provided an “equal opportunity for a sound, basic and uniform education."
“This is a constitutional challenge to the deficiency of the state public finance system for our schools,” said Jeff Mandell, founder of Law Forward. “The purpose of that sound basic education is to prepare our young people to be productive and active participants in our society, and the funding that the state is providing for schools is making it impossible for school districts to fully prepare those students.”
“Students who need consistency and specialized attention would be impacted first. Larger caseloads and fewer supports means less individualized attention, fewer opportunities for inclusion and increased stress for students and families and staff. These cuts don’t just affect academics. They affect a child’s sense of belonging and long-term independence and success.”
Leah Hover-Preiss teaches in Adams-Friendship and is a plaintiff in the lawsuit. She’s witnessed the consequences of inadequate funding directly in her classroom: larger class sizes, reduced teacher support, fewer student opportunities and a critical lack of mental health services. “In order to best support students and families, our schools need strong and stable funding from the state,” she said.
The lawsuit alleges that the state is violating the Wisconsin Constitution’s requirement that all children be provided with an equal opportunity for a sound, basic and uniform education.
