Wisconsin Biennial Education Budget SummaryOn July 3, 2019, Governor Tony Evers signed the biennial budget bill that was forwarded to him by the legislature. The provisions of Act 9 became effective on July 5, 2019, unless the Act specified a different date. This article summarizes items that are of particular importance to AWSA members. The Department of Public Instruction has published a comprehensive summary of all education-related provisions of the budget. MENTAL HEALTH School Mental Health Categorical Aid The governor and the Department of Public Instruction requested an increase of $22,000,000 GPR annually, beginning in FY20, to expand the categorical aid for school mental health programs and provide reimbursements on the basis of expenditures for all pupil services categories, as opposed to just school social workers (i.e., expenditures for school counselors, school nurses, and school psychologists would be aidable). The department also requested modifications to the program so that all eligible claimants will receive at least some aid at the Tier 2 aid level. The finance committee provided increases of $3,000,000 GPR annually, to raise funding to $6,000,000 annually. The committee denied the request to expand aid to all pupil service categories (maintain current law). This was signed into law by the governor. Community and School Mental Health Collaborative Grant Program The governor and the Department of Public Instruction requested an increase of $7,000,000 GPR annually, beginning in FY20, to expand the School-Based Mental Health Services Grant program, to support more school districts and independent charter schools in connecting youth to needed mental health services. The finance committee provided an increase of $3,250,000 GPR annually, to raise funding to $6,500,000 annually. This was signed into law by the governor. Please see the accompanying article, from DPI’s Beth Herman, for additional information on these important programs. TEACHER TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT Rural Teacher Talent Pilot Program The Finance Committee increased funding, from $500,000 GPR to $1,500,000 GPR, beginning in FY20, for the existing grant program under which the department awards grants to CESAs to coordinate with universities and colleges to provide practicums, student-teacher placement, and internships for undergraduate college students in rural school districts. Funding provided to CESAs under this program are used to provide stipends and reimbursements (e.g., for mileage) to students. This was signed into law by the governor. TARGETED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES Robotics League Participation Grants The governor requested an increase of $250,000 GPR annually, beginning in FY20, to fully fund the anticipated demand for Robotics League Participation grants. This was signed into law by the governor. School Day Milk Program The governor requested an increase of $382,900 GPR annually, beginning in FY20, to increase the reimbursement rate for the Wisconsin School Day Milk Program from 58% (in FY17) to 100% of eligible expenditures. The finance committee approved the requested funding. Additionally, the committee expanded eligibility for the program to Independent Charter Schools, the Wisconsin Educational Services Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and residential care centers for children and youth. This was signed into law by the governor. School Library Aid The governor requested an increase in funding for School Library Aids by $900,000 segregated fund revenues (SEG) in FY20 and by $1,800,000 in FY21, to reflect a re-estimate of the amount of revenue available for distribution to school districts. The finance committee increased funding for School Library Aids by an additional $1,500,000 SEG in FY20 and in FY21, to reflect the latest re-estimate of available revenue. Total funding: $39,400,000 in FY20 and $40,300,000 in FY21. This was signed into law by the governor. School Performance Improvement Grant The Department of Public Instruction requested a modification in the counting of public school students to be consistent with how students in private schools and independent charter schools are counted for this program. The finance committee approved the agency’s request to modify counting of public school students (applicable in FY20), but eliminate funding for this grant program beginning in FY21 ($3,690,600 GPR annually). This was signed into law by the governor. Personal Electronic Computing Devices Grant (Veto) The Department of Public Instruction requested a modification in the counting of public school students to be consistent with how students in private schools and independent charter schools are counted for this program. The governor approved the department’s request to modify counting of public school students (applicable in FY20) and eliminate funding for this grant program beginning in FY21 ($9,187,500 GPR annually). The finance committee denied the governor’s request, thereby maintaining current law funding at $9,187,500 GPR annually. The governor partially vetoed the bill to reduce the appropriation for this grant program to zero, beginning in FY20. As a result of the partial veto, there is no funding for the grant program. ITEMS INCLUDED IN OTHER AGENCY BUDGETS The following provides a summary of proposed changes to programs administered by other state agencies, but that have an impact on schools. The specific details of these budget proposals may be found in the sources indicated for each item below. Modify the Current TEACH program: A request was made by the governor to extend the information technology infrastructure block grants through June 30, 2021, at $3,000,000 SEG annually. (Under current law, this funding would expire June 30, 2019). In addition, this provision would:
The finance committee approved the following components of the governor’s proposal:
This was signed into law by the governor. Read to Lead The Department of Children and Families (DCF) requested a reduction of funding by $23,600 SEG annually, and a repeal of the Read to Lead Development Council, the Read to Lead development fund, and the GPR and SEG appropriations that fund the program. This was signed into law by the governor. Fabrication Laboratory (‘Fab Lab’) Grant Program The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) requested the following: Require WEDC to provide at least $500,000 SEG in FY20 and in FY21 to continue a fabrication laboratory (“fab lab”) program that is substantially similar to the program under s.238.145, 2015 Wis. Stats., from its economic development fund operations and programs SEG appropriation. WEDC was provided $500,000 GPR in FY16, pursuant to 2015 Act 55 (2015-17 budget bill), to develop and implement a program to make grants to eligible recipients for purchases of equipment used in fab labs for instructional and educational purposes by grade school, junior high school, and high school students. The statutes that created the fabrication laboratory grant program were repealed under 2017 Act 59, which instead required that WEDC continue to provide funding of at least $500,000 in FY18 and FY19, from either its GPR appropriation for operations and programs or its SEG appropriation for economic development fund operations and programs. That funding was provided to implement a program substantially similar to the Act 55 program. Thus, this provision included in the 2019-21 budget bill would require WEDC to continue the grant program through the 2019-21 biennium. Although the governor vetoed the provision, the veto does not prohibit WEDC from allocating monies for purposes of providing Fab Lab grants on its own volition. This was signed into law by the governor. Finance The dollar amount in parenthesis is the total change in the base funding level.
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