WSAW News

Among the allocations in the state budget that Gov. Tony Evers signed Thursday morning were increases to special education funding. Schools, families, and advocates were requesting that the state reimbursement for general special education expenses increase from about 30% to 60% sum sufficient. The final budget landed in a compromise. The governor and legislators touted that what ended up getting signed into the budget is the highest reimbursement rate in 30 years. Reimbursement of general special education expenses to schools will increase to 42% in the first year and 45% in the second year. 

Learn In My Shoes, the grassroots parent campaign advocating for more special education funding, provided a statement about the budget, saying in part: “While these investments fall far short of the 60% or more sum sufficient reimbursement our communities desperately need, we are grateful for the long overdue, bipartisan compromise that invests in kids, families, and communities.”