Contact: Tom Evenson, (608) 266-2839

Manitowish Waters – Governor Scott Walker discussed the historic investments for K-12 education included in his budget proposal with students and teachers today at Lakeland Elementary School. Governor Walker’s budget lifts K-12 investments to $11.5 billion over two years, an all-time high, and includes $649 million in new state aids for Wisconsin K-12 schools.

“The state of our state is strong,” Governor Walker said. “In fact, just this week we announced our unemployment rate dropped to 3.4%, the lowest it’s been since 2000. Our biennial budget proposal is about looking ahead and continuing to move Wisconsin forward, which is why we’re making historic investments in K-12 education. Helping our students succeed today prepares the future of Wisconsin’s workforce and ensures a strong and prosperous Wisconsin for generations to come.”

The North Lakeland School District is estimated to receive an investment of $423,974 over the biennium in total state aids under Governor Walker’s budget, including:
An Increase of $89,392 in Per Pupil Aid. Governor Walker’s budget proposal increases per-pupil funding by $200 per pupil in Fiscal Year 2018 and $204 per pupil in Fiscal Year 2019. This marks the largest increase since the 2005-2007 biennium.
An Increase of $143,667 in High-Cost Transportation Aid. High-Cost Transportation Aid provides additional transportation aid to school districts with per-pupil transportation costs more than 150 percent of the state average and with a density of 50 pupils per square mile or less.
An Increase of $29,822 in Sparsity Aid. Sparsity Aid provides $300 per pupil of additional funding to small rural school districts that have less than 745 pupils and a population density of fewer than 10 pupils per square mile of district attendance. Governor Walker’s budget proposal also creates a $100 per pupil tier of sparsity aid funding for districts with 746-1000 pupils, which provides additional stability for school districts that hover around the 745 pupil buffer.
The North Lakeland School District may also be eligible for further funding under Governor Walker’s budget proposal, such as mental health grants, energy efficiency incentives, and special needs grants.
Learn more about Governor Walker’s proposed investment in K-12 education here. For Governor Walker’s full 2017 Budget Address, click here.

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