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School Board Approves Legislative Resolution Urging Leaders to Approve Emergency Relief Funds

On Monday, May 4, the Wauwatosa School Board unanimously approved a legislative resolution urging leaders to approve emergency relief funding to stabilize our kids’ public schools.

BACKGROUND

America’s recent economic downturn is creating significant financial hardship across-the-board, from business to nonprofit to government. A few weeks ago, Governor Tony Evers predicted that Wisconsin alone would see a $2 billion drop in revenue, due to sharp declines in sales tax, income tax and property tax collections. Our kids’ K-12 public schools rely on a combination of property taxes, sales taxes and income taxes to fund their operations and deliver on their mission to educate all students.

The nonpartisan Learning Policy Institute projects that almost 320,000 school district positions could be cut nationwide if federal and state governments do not act, and states cut their education budgets by 15 percent.

On April 6, 2020, nonpartisan organizations including the School Superintendent’s Association (AASA), American Federation of Teachers, American School Counselor Association, Council of Administrators of Special Education, Council of Great City Schools, National Association of Elementary School Principals, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Association of School Psychologists, National Association of State Directors of Special Education, National Education Association, National PTA and the National School Boards Association penned a letter to the majority and minority leaders in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House urging them to allocate at least $200 billion in K-12 federal emergency relief funding, including the following:

At least $175 billion: Provision of emergency funding directly to state governments to support local school districts
At least $25 billion: $13 billion to support IDEA and $12 billion to support Title I
At least $2 billion: Funding technology to further enable home-based learning and close inequities in broadband Internet access

THE BOARD REQUESTS YOUR SUPPORT

You can support our school board’s actions by sending leaders your own message supporting this emergency stabilization funding. Please send a personal message (including your name and address) or call your elected officials encouraging them to allocate sufficient emergency stabilization aid enabling our kids’ K-12 public school districts to fund their staff and programs, execute on their missions, and avoid disruptive furloughs and cuts.

U.S. Senator Ron Johnson

Complete this online form: https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-the-senator

Call: 202-224-5323

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin

Complete this online form: https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/feedback

Call: 202-224-5653

U.S. Congressman James Sensenbrenner

Complete this online form: https://sensenbrenner.house.gov/contact

Call: 202-225-5101

Governor Tony Evers

GovInfo@wsconsin.gov

608-266-1212