The state’s Joint Finance Committee (JFC) will hold four public hearings, in Waukesha, Eau Claire, Wisconsin Dells and Minocqua, about the 2023-25 state budget in April. Plan now to attend or comment online. Either is great.
The Republican-controlled committee is the most powerful in the country. Its 16 members will send a budget to the other 116 legislators for approval in May. They will deliberate on the Committee’s version of the budget, which they have said will largely ignore Gov. Tony Ever’s proposed budget. He’ll have until June 30th to sign something.
WCRIS especially needs principals to attend and voice support for funding Private School Health and Safety Grants. Tell the JFC members about your school profile and student proficiency rates.
Feel free to bring your students attired in spirit wear for a living civics lesson.
Our request is that since K-12 religious and independent schools enroll 10 percent of the state’s K-12 school-aged children, they should get 10 percent of what the public schools get to address student health and safety or learning loss. We’re asking that the Committee use that as a guide to determine amounts.
The program would provide five options for schools to fund what they know is most needed for their students.
Your message to the 16-member committee is that the program:
- Is innovative because it’s not one-size-fits-all, but builds on our experience with successful and unsuccessful state and federal grant programs;
- Calls for one-time money to address specific risks to student learning from health and safety problems or from learning loss and is therefore measurable;
- Is equitable because the amount is fair and proportional to public schools expenditures; and
- Uses the state’s General Purpose Revenue to free schools from federal bureaucracy and cumbersome paperwork.
Online Link or E-mail and Hearing Details
The JFC’s times and locations for its four April public hearings, and a link for online comment are listed below. If you attend in-person, you can leave the meeting once you have provided your testimony. Plan to bring 25 printed copies on school letterhead to give to the committee clerk or a legislative page. Make sure you find the registration table immediately upon arrival and fill out a hearing slip.
For Wisconsinites who can’t attend a meeting, they can access this online portal or use this dedicated email address: budget.comments@legis.wisconsin.gov to submit testimony which will be circulated to all 16 committee members. Online testimony can be submitted at anytime.
See the in-person hearing schedule below:
Waukesha: Wednesday, April 5, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Waukesha County Expo Center, Main Arena
1000 Northview Rd, Waukesha
Eau Claire: Tuesday, April 11, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
UW-Eau Claire, Davies Student Center
Ojibwe Grand Ballroom (Third Floor)
77 Roosevelt Ave., Eau Claire
Wisconsin Dells: Wednesday, April 12, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Wilderness Resort, Glacier Canyon Conference Center
Sandstone Meeting Room
45 Hillman Road, Wisconsin Dells
Minocqua: Wednesday, April 26, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Lakeland Union High School
9573 State Highway 70, Minocqua
