http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/teaching-students-s435.jpgMADISON - Gov. Tony Evers today delivered the Democratic Radio Address on his 2023-25 biennial budget investments in K-12 education, including providing more than $1 billion in spendable authority for public education.

More information can be found here.

Audio File of Radio Address.

Hey there, Governor Tony Evers here.

Last week, I signed the 2023-25 biennial budget the Legislature sent to my desk while using my veto pen to make substantial improvements and investments in K-12 education.

Building on our historic progress in fully funding our public schools, this budget together with legislation I recently signed provide an overall increase of nearly $1.2 billion in spendable authority for public school districts, including state categorical aids.

That includes a $325 per pupil increase in revenue limits and an increase in the low revenue ceiling from $10,000 to $11,000 per pupil.

This is the largest increase in statewide revenue limit authority since revenue limits were first imposed on K-12 schools in 1993, and it is permanent and base-building.

As a result of my partial veto to this provision, school districts will have continued, additive per pupil revenue adjustments of $325 every year for the next 400 years, providing local schools the budgeting certainty they need well into the future.

I’m also proud this budget invests $97 million to increase special education reimbursement rates, $50 million to improve reading and literacy outcomes, and $30 million to continue funding for school-based mental health for our kids.

This budget is an important step towards meeting our ultimate goals for our schools and our kids, but we can and should do more. We must continue our work to prioritize school funding during this biennium and into the future.

We have work left to do, but I will never stop fighting to do the right thing for our kids because what’s best for our kids is what’s best for our state. Thank you.