As Actual Public Education Funding Numbers Come Into Focus, MTEA Redoubles Efforts to Oppose Historically Bad Budget Deal

MILWAUKEE – Since details of the deal cut by Governor Evers, Speaker Vos, Mayor Johnson, and County Executive Crowley went public, MTEA and other public education advocates have called for the veto of this historically bad deal and for appropriate funding that at least keeps K-12 public schools up with inflation.

MTEA Vice President Ingrid Walker-Henry said “Families across Wisconsin have spent countless hours and years advocating for the public education funding their children deserve. Instead, what has happened is the long-term disinvestment in public education under the watch of both Republican and Democratic elected officials. Public school students have given and given and given to create this 7 billion dollar surplus. Public school districts and public schools have closed, class sizes have increased, and educational opportunities have decreased. Governor Evers must reassess and veto this legislation because our children have nothing left to give.”

MTEA leaders have been in discussions with Milwaukee Public Schools leaders about what the included K-12 public education revenue limit increases will result in for our students and school staff in real dollars. The answers are shocking. The rough estimates that MPS Administration has shared with MTEA are less than $1 million new dollars in the 2023-24 school year (year 1) which works out to about $12 per student. And in 2024-25 (year 2) the funding is only about $2.4 million which amounts to just $38 per student.  

“Milwaukee Public Schools students deserve far more than this pittance.  Governor Evers must know that MTEA and public-school voters across Wisconsin will never accept the crumbs this ‘deal’ would offer our students,” said MTEA President Amy Mizialko. “The Evers Administration should be ashamed of their misleading statements about this so-called ‘historic investment.’ I implore Governor Evers to wake up to the economic reality of this deal and the damage it will do to our public schools, our students and families, and our public education workers. The Governor must correct course before it is too late.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.