Governor Walker unveiled his plan Wednesday to help benefit rural public schools in Wisconsin.
He's calling for numerous investments to aid rural districts. He'll increase funds for transportation costs, something that many rural districts struggle with. The plan calls for increasing sparsity funds. Those funds help smaller districts budget when enrollments fall short of projected budgets, filling in the gap for per-pupil funding.
Walker also touted plans investments in broadband internet access, calling for wi-fi hotspots, as well as increasing infrastructure spending to help set up schools with the service.
Additionally, the plan calls for increased investments in teaching aide programs, giving aides the training they need to become fully licensed teachers.
For Republican State Representative Paul Tittl of Manitowoc, the plan is a continuation of his push to increase funding for transportation in rural school districts. He said, "You know, when I was a kid I walked to school...through kindergarten all the way through 12th grade. I didn't have the transportation costs that we have in the rural districts."
State Democrats pushed back against Walker's plan. They pointed to Act 10, and former education funding cuts Walker pushed back in 2011.
Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling, Democrat of La Crosse, says "Governor Walker's decision to cut $1 billion from our local schools and force families to pay higher school property taxes has been devastating for many communities." She cited state Democrats' plans to restore funding to levels before Walker took office.
Further details of the plan are detailed below:
Walker's rural schools plan would:
-- Increase sparsity aid by $20 million. That aid goes to districts with fewer than 745 students and a population density of less than 10 students per square mile. Walker said his budget will spend $12.3 million more on sparsity aid than was requested by the state Department of Public Instruction.
-- Create a new $100-per-student tier of sparsity aid for districts with between 746 and 1,000 students.
-- Provide 100 percent reimbursement, with a $10.4 million funding increase, for transportation costs for schools with fewer than 50 students per square mile and transportation costs that are 150 percent of the state average. Last year, the reimbursement rate was about 60 percent.
-- Increase by $22.5 million the money available through Technology for Educational Achievement grants. The grants can currently be used to pay for training for teachers to use educational technology. Walker is also proposing allowing districts to apply for the grants to pay for making internet hot spots available on buses and for students to take home. The hot spots would allow students to get online to complete their homework when not at school.
-- Increase grants for broadband internet expansion by $13 million.
-- Require the University of Wisconsin's flex option program to create a program to train teacher's aides and other paraprofessionals already working in schools to become full-time teachers. This proposal is designed to help rural schools struggling with teacher shortages. The flex option program allows students to earn college credits by demonstrating real-life knowledge through online tests.
-- The Associated Press contributed.
