Education Budget

As the Joint Finance Committee continues to work on the state budget, my office has been receiving a number of contacts from constituents regarding the education segment of the spending plan.

K-12 education makes up a very large portion of each biennial budget. As a long-time school board member and vice chairman of the Assembly Education Committee, it is an area of special interest to me.

This year, the education budget is complicated by the fact that Wisconsin schools are scheduled to get at least $2.2 billion in federal aid through the COVID-19 relief packages. Many believe that, at least to some extent, this reduces the need for a large increase in state funding. For those schools that remained open, however, there were additional expenditures required due to the pandemic.

A certain level of new state spending is needed in order for Wisconsin to receive the full amount of federal dollars. Multiple media outlets have reported that JFC is running the risk of losing $1.5 billion in federal aid for schools if it does not increase the amount of state dollars going toward education beyond what has so far been allotted. 

Wisconsin would have to allocate $387 million in new spending for K-12 schools in order to qualify for the federal funds. Right now, JFC has dedicated $128 million specific to education and has put $350 million more in a separate account that is said to go toward schools.

I would like to point out that the budget process is not over and JFC is still working on the issue. The federal government is requiring that we spend about 35 percent of our state funds on schools and members of JFC are trying to determine the best way to meet that threshold.

If JFC does not make any changes and we lose out on that $1.5 billion in federal dollars, it will be very difficult for me to support the budget. I do not believe it would be fair to our local schools if we tell them they should rely more on the federal aid but then we don't spend enough in state funds to get that money. 

However, I am hopeful that this predicament will be resolved before the budget is presented to the governor for his signature.

Broadband Grants

The Wisconsin Public Service Commission is now accepting applications for the first round of the Federal American Rescue Plan Act Broadband Access Grant program.

The PSC will be awarding up to $100 million in federal funds for projects that expand high-speed broadband internet access in unserved and underserved locations in the state.

Applications for the ARPA Broadband Access Grants are due by July 27. The PSC expects to announce the recipients in early fall.

I encourage all of our local governments to consider applying for these grants. Having reliable internet is vital to surviving in the 21st century and too many communities in our area are unable to get the services they need. I will continue to fight for this cause until our entire district has acceptable internet coverage.

For more information on the grant program, please click on this link.

The PSC will also be holding a webinar on the grants on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. You can register by clicking here.

Input on Shoreline

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is seeking your input on the strategic analysis of existing and alternative approaches to coastal management on the Door Peninsula, both under high and low water conditions.

According to the DNR, the purpose of the Door Peninsula strategic analysis is to inform decision-makers and the public about current circumstances, various approaches to coastal management and the anticipated environmental and socioeconomic effects of those alternatives.

To learn more about the project, please check out this press release from the DNR.

The public is encouraged to comment on a draft outline of the topics covered in the analysis and fill out an online questionnaire about their views regarding coastal management on the Door Peninsula. Those forms can be found by clicking on this link.

All materials should be submitted by July 23.