Education Cuts: Joint Finance Could Bring Reason to Governor's Budget

The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin is open to working with members of the Wisconsin Legislature's Joint Committee on Finance to restore reason to Governor Walker's budget proposals for K-12 public education in Wisconsin. The Governor is recommending slashing equalization and categorical aids to school districts rather than trying to fix a school funding formula that many have regarded as broken for years.

Christopher Ahmuty, Executive Director of the ACLU of Wisconsin called the proposed cuts, "'penny wise pound foolish.' You can't put our children's education on hold. These proposals will widen the already shocking gap between the education children receive in poor districts versus well-off districts.

"If the Governor and his ideological allies intend to create an underclass of Wisconsinites who will have less of a chance to become productive citizens, his budget proposals will move our families toward that outcome.

"In the weeks ahead the ACLU of Wisconsin will be working with parents, students, school board leaders and educators to show legislators that the Governor's proposals will fail under-served children in all parts of our state," Ahmuty concluded.

For more on education cuts in the state budget, read this Wisconsin State Journal article about increased funding for private schools and decreased funding and resources for public schools.