Wisconsin taxpayers are now spending over $200,000 per student over the course of a 12-year education for 60% of students to read below basic literacy standards.
The shocking study, released using data from the Wisconsin Institute of Law and Liberty, paints a grim picture of Wisconsin education as the cost per student has skyrocketed alongside plummeting student achievement metrics.
The report comes on the heels of another from the Wisconsin Policy Forum showing that students have not yetreturned to pre-pandemic achievement levels despite $2.3 billion in relief funding.
The study found that students in lower grades were falling behind at the highest rates, signaling that they are struggling to adapt to coming back from remote schooling after the pandemic.
The WILL study covered a ten-year span, during which time education spending increased by 50% from $12,250 per student to $18,750 per student.
Concerns about runaway spending in education have been coupled with two high-profile stories that call into question the stewardship of taxpayer dollars by Wisconsin’s education system. (RELATED: DCCC Adds Rebecca Cooke to ‘Red to Blue’ List After Out-raising Van Orden)
Earlier this month, it was revealed that Milwaukee Public Schools face a $46 million deficit, causing some to question how the district could have a budget shortfall despite receiving over a billion dollars in addition to its normal operating budget.
In addition to MPS’s budgetary shortfalls, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction came under fire after a report surfaced alleging that the Department spent $369,000 to host a lavish getaway at a waterpark and resort.
The report drew outrage from state legislators, prompting them to pause at least $1 million in funding for the DPI. Representative Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, called the use of funds “questionable” and said legislators will need to review further funding. (RELATED: Thune Faces Critical Decision Ahead of Vote on Historic Legislation)
