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Brennan: More School Funding
Former Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan says he wants to spend more money on public schools in Wisconsin, but he is differentiating himself from the other Democrats in the race for governor.
Brennan talked about school funding during an interview Monday on News Talk 1130 WISN. He said he wants to send more money to Wisconsin’s schools, even if that means sending more state money in lieu of local property tax money.
“When I hear people, friends of mine and people running the state, say ‘fully fund education.’ I don’t know what the hell that means most of the time to be honest with you. Except that it means how do we get to a point where we get better outcomes,” Brennan said.
Brennan later said perhaps the state should cover two-thirds of the cost for public education in the state. Though he said that was not a firm proposal.
“In the past two-thirds has been where the state has tried to get to,” Brennan added. “Right now the state is paying for less than half.”
Wisconsin schools spend an average of just over $17,000 per-child, per-year on public schools. Milwaukee public schools spend closer to $25,000 per-child.
Brennan said the desire to increase the state’s share of public education is what drove Gov. Evers’ 400-year veto.
Brennan, however, defended the governor’s veto. He argued that it “protects” the governor’s veto power, and makes an investment in schools.
Brennan also promised to “undo” Act-10.
As for the likely tax increases that would come, Brennan said he’d like to find a way to protect collective bargaining that doesn’t “pit property taxpayers against schools.”
Brennan also supported other program expansions that could come with hefty price tags, including a BadgerCare expansion and a massive expansion of early childhood education.
Brennan is one of five Democrats running for governor in Wisconsin. He is, however, polling at the back of the pack at 2% according to the latest Marquette Law School Poll.
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