Wisconsin provides more money for voucher students

The numbers don’t lie. Wisconsin lawmakers continue to fund voucher schools to the detriment of public schools. Even as Governor Walker pledges more money for public schools in his latest budget, it still doesn’t keep pace with what lawmakers are handing out in free tuition to private schools. A report by Wisconsin’s Legislative Fiscal Bureau shows that payments to voucher school operators would be at least $1000 higher per student than the average for public school students. And the money that pays for these vouchers is coming directly from the general aid fund that should go to public schools. The report finds that while state tax dollars for voucher school operators has increased 12 times faster than total school aids for public schools. In fact, voucher payments are more than doubling over 8 years of Republican control. At the same time, general aids for public schools in Wisconsin fell. Under the Governor’s budget, payments to voucher schools would total up to $8403 per student, while aid to public school students would total just $6700. These numbers tell the story. Public education in Wisconsin has suffered, while we continue to hand tax dollars to those attending voucher schools. Public school students should not be second in line for state aid.