Voucher Schools Get $1000 More Per Student Than Public |
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News |
Written by Wisconsin Senate Democrats |
Tuesday, 21 March 2017 10:36 |
http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/schoolyard-greenfield-s5.jpg MADISON – A new memo from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau shows that public schools and students continue to suffer while unaccountable voucher operators get first crack at taxpayer dollars. Payments to voucher operators under the Governor’s budget proposal would be at least $1000 higher per student than the average for public school students, legislative Democratic leaders pointed out. General Aid to public schools would remain below 2010 levels because of diversions to voucher and private charter schools.
The Fiscal Bureau memo demonstrates that payments to voucher schools under the Governor’s budget would range from $7,757 to $8,403 per student by 2018. Including all of Governor Walker’s proposed increases, public school students would receive an average $6,703. The Democrats pointed out that voucher payments are likely to increase while marginal hikes for public schools are in peril during the months of Republican budget deliberations ahead.
As shown in the memo, the statewide voucher program has been funded since 2015 by general aid taken directly from public districts. Alarmingly, successful but struggling public schools in Wisconsin communities would be operating with less general aid in 2018 than 2010 once unfair pay-offs to special interest voucher schools and private charters are made, the Democrats said.
The Democratic Education leaders noted that the memo shows state tax dollars for voucher operators increasing 12 times faster than total school aids and that voucher payments would more than double over 8 years of GOP control. At the same time, net general aids that support public schools and reduce property taxes would fall 1.3%. “Special interest lobbyists have had the inside track to state tax dollars since the GOP took over budget-writing and this memo shows how much work we have to do to make this right for public school students and taxpayers,” said Rep. Sondy Pope (D-Mount Horeb). “It’s time to stop making handouts to voucher lobbyists a higher priority than our constitutional responsibility to hundreds of thousands of kids in public schools.” |
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