Wisconsin can finally get its school funding in order. Inequality still harms students.

Two years ago we wrote about Wisconsin in The Ideas Lab unfair and unequal system for school financing. School districts are funded on a per-student basis, but the amount of funding for students is not the same for every district. Instead, per-student funding is based on what the district spent in 1993.

That year, some districts built new schools or purchased new curriculum, spending more than $10,000 per student. They have been in the group of “high income” districts for 30 years. “Low-revenue” districts tightened their belts, with most spending less than $5,000 per student. These spending differences have since been recorded. In our original articlewe provided many examples from the state’s 421 school districts where funding for students in neighboring districts differed significantly.

We were thrilled that the Legislature heard our call in July 2023. Thanks to their action and the governor’s signature, the state’s 250 lowest-funded districts will now receive $11,325 per student, an increase of $1,325 from the previous state budget. The remaining districts received $650 in additional revenue for each of their students. The budget included significantly more state aid for districts and taxpayers, mitigating the impact on local taxpayers. Importantly, local voters could make their own choices about whether to increase their taxes. Every school district in the state had the opportunity to make the decision that was right for them.

One Wisconsin budget cycle did not erase decades of inequality

Nevertheless, improvements in one budget cycle simply could not eliminate decades of inequality. This year, 250 “low income” school districts will receive $11,325 per student, 22 districts will receive between $13,000 and $14,999 per student, and 15 districts will receive as much as $15,000 or more per student. Clearly the system is better than it was, but there is still more work to be done.

The state budget continues to create winners and losers through its financing system. That is not fair to students, not wise for our economy, and inconsistent with the Wisconsin Constitution, which states: “The Legislature shall provide by law for the establishment of district schools, which as nearly uniform as possible” (emphasis added).

The consequences of this unfair financing system are well known. Our analysis found that while average teacher salaries are not higher in districts with more revenue per student, these districts do hire more staff. Student-to-teacher ratios are more favorable in high-income districts, leading to less teacher burnout and better experiences for students. Students in those districts also have more support staff, such as counselors and nurses. We wrote about it recently the critical link between school funding and school safetymaking it clear that all students should be safe in school, not just those who attend high-income districts or where school referendums on safety may be passed.

State leaders have the opportunity to fix school funding

This year, the Association for Equity in Funding is calling on our elected representatives to take one final step toward fair revenue. Elected officials should commit to a different budget that gives low-income districts significantly higher increases in per-pupil revenue than districts that have been better funded for three decades. Specifically, we are calling for another increase of the same amount that was included in the 2023-2025 state budget: $1,325 in additional revenue for every student in the 255 low-income districts.

If this were paired with $650 per student for the other 166 districts, as the Legislature provided in the last biennial budget, more than 90% of districts within 10% of each other would be funded per student. We believe this is clearly within the legislature’s reach and would bring us to a point of realistic revenue sharing.

Our loud call is this: “90% within 10%,” meaning that 90% of districts within 10% of each other would be funded on a per-pupil revenue basis. Increasing state aid will be important to soften the fiscal impact of revenue increases in low-income districts. Local taxpayers should also be able to make their own decisions about the level of taxation they want to approve once state aid amounts are determined.

Now is the time for political leaders to fairly and equitably support the education of all children in our state.

The Wisconsin Association for Equity in Funding is a group of low-income districts that together educate about 100,000 students and has been advocating for changes to the funding system for decades. John Gaier is the president and superintendent of the Neillsville School District. Danny Pyeatt is chairman of the board of education, United School District of Antigo. Chad Trowbridge is business manager of the Chippewa Falls Unified School District. All three districts are members of the association.

This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Opinion: The state has made progress on school funding. Let’s finish the job.