GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — Leaders of the Green Bay public school district say they haven't received enough money from the state over the last decade—and they're willing to fight in court for more funds.
James Lyerly, President of the Green Bay Area Public School District Board of Education, says the district is capped at spending $11,650 per pupil, but the district only receives about 60 percent of that number from the state.
To keep pace with rising costs, Lyerly says the district should be spending about $15,000 per student.
"It's not sustainable," said Lyerly, who warns that district budget deficits can lead to staff reductions, school closures or cuts to programs and services—but to spend more money than the state cap, districts have to levy.
"We see this lawsuit as a responsible tool that the school board can take to compel change," Lyerly explained.
Green Bay is one of five Wisconsin school districts suing the state Legislature and its Joint Committee on Finance over funding for public education.
The plantiffs are represented by Law Forward, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit. President of that nonprofit, Jeff Mandell, says Wisconsin schools can no longer meet student needs with declining state dollars.
"We're at a crisis point now, and that's why the litigation," Mandell said. "We really, really need to fix this."
Watch the full story by Jessica Goska here:
Shane McDonough, a special education teacher in the Green Bay public school district, says the funding shortfall has real consequences in the classroom.
"When we're asking our staff to do more with less, it leads to problems," McDonough emphasized. "The reality is that the needs of our students are greater than the funds and resources that are available."
State Representative Robin Vos, Speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly, is one defendant in the suit. Rep. Vos says the suit is "meritless" and describes it as a liberal attack on the school-voucher program.
A statement from Vos reads:
"This complaint is another meritless attempt by liberal activists to defund the state's highly successful school-voucher program and interfere with the Legislature's authority to fund public schools. We will vigorously defend against this suit and are confident that the courts will soundly reject it."
Mandell pushed back on that characterization when asked whether this is a partisan issue.
"It really isn't. It shouldn't be. I mean, schools serve everyone in Wisconsin," Mandell responded.
To meet student needs with declining state funds, public schools around the country are asking taxpayers for help. The Green Bay public school district plans to put an operational referendum on the November ballot.
