State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers is raising concerns about the education budget adopted by the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee.
In a statement, Evers says he is troubled Republicans spent their time and effort designing a plan that “erodes the basic foundation of Wisconsin’s public school system.”
The sweeping plan approved early Wednesday morning includes a wide range of changes, which include restoring about $200 million in funding to public schools and lifting a cap on the statewide private school voucher program. Evers argues that expansion will eventually create two systems of public schools – “those in local communities that can afford to provide a quality education through referendum and those that cannot.”
Republicans have said their plan is about providing a wide range of choices for Wisconsin students, so parents can find education options that work best for them.