Fox Cities Advocates for Public Education united with public education advocacy teams from around the state to call for a restoration of state level funding by increasing the revenue limit in the next biennial budget. The groups, who are connected through the non-partisan advocacy coalition Wisconsin Public Education Network, issued the following statement:

We represent parents and communities from around Wisconsin who believe that every child deserves equal access to an excellent public education.

Since 1993, our ability to locally control and fund our schools has been restricted by revenue limits. During the last decade, funding has stagnated and revenue limits have actually been frozen for the past two years. Funding for students with disabilities has been capped for eight years and Wisconsin schools are still reeling from the largest funding cuts in history, a cumulative decrease of $2.6 billion since 2011 according to the State of Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

A revenue limit increase of at least $300 per pupil per year, with sufficient aid support from the state, would be a step of good faith toward restoring that lost funding and reinvesting our tax dollars where they belong: in the success of the 850,000-plus children attending Wisconsin’s excellent public schools.

Wisconsin children have paid the price for tax cuts and other state spending long enough. Restoring funding to the public schools that are the heart of our communities should be the first priority in the 2017-2019 budget, and that restoration begins with an increase to the revenue limit of at least $300/student.

Signed,

Advocates for Education of Whitefish Bay

Citizen Advocates for Public Education (CAPE), Lake Mills

Citizen Advocates for Public Education (CAPE-MCPASD), Middleton-Cross Plains

Citizens for Educational Excellence - Menomonee Falls

Fox Cities Advocates for Public Education

Families United for Spooner Excellence

Green Bay Advocates 4 Public Education

GRUMPS (GRandparents for Madison Public Schools)

No Vouchers Coalition

Parents for Public Schools – Milwaukee

Project 13 (Eau Claire)

Saint Croix Valley Friends of Public Education

School Funding Reform for Wisconsin

Stop Special Needs Vouchers

Support Oshkosh Students (S.O.S.)

Support Our Schools (SOS) - SW Wisconsin

Support Our Schools - SOS-Wauwatosa

Support Sun Prairie Schools

Watertown CAPS: Community Advocates 4 Public Schools

YES for Oak Creek Schools