"Way more" Than $60 Million
Wisconsin public schools can expect a multi-million dollar bump for special education in the next state budget.
Joint Committee on Finance co-chair Mark Born on Tuesday brushed-off criticism from Gov. Evers that Republicans were only willing to offer a $30 million increase for special education across the state.
“The only conversations I've been involved in caucus, or with the Senate, or with the governor, with anyone involved percentages,” Born said. “[Those] percentage increases in special education, which are way more expensive than $60 [million] or $30 million.”
Special education has become a particular focus in this year’s budget negotiations.
Gov. Tony Evers told a different set of reporters earlier on Tuesday that special education is one of his three budget priorities this year.
“Our team was all about the University of Wisconsin, public schools, and child care,” Evers said.
In fact Gov. Evers was the one who set the price tag for special ed at $60 million more.
“We were asking for $60 million in special education, and [Republicans] were at $30 million,” Evers explained. “Is $30 million better than zero? Of course it is. But it’s not enough.”
The governor would not say just how much he wants in a special education spending increase, and Born wouldn’t say how much legislative Republicans are eyeing.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, on Sunday, accused Gov. Evers of lying about the Republicans’ approach to budget negotiations.
“We tried to find a way to look at education so that money would actually go back to school districts all across the state, it just wasn't enough for what he wanted. We found a way to get money in the UW for the first time in almost a dozen years, but because it wasn't as much as he wanted he wasn't willing to take a smaller amount,” Vos said in an appearance on UpFront.
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