>> IT'S TOO EARLY TO TELL, BUT
IT IS ALWAYS AN OPTION THAT IS
ON THE TABLE.
>> FREDERICA: GOVERNOR TONY
EVERS THIS WEEK THREATENS TO
VETO THE ENTIRE STATE BUDGET
THIS REPUBLICANS ARE NOW
RECRAFTING OVER SCHOOL FUNDING.
HE CALLED IT AN INSULT TO THE
KIDS OF OUR STATE.
THAT'S BECAUSE THE BUDGET
COMMITTEE VOTED TO INCREASE
STATE FUNDING BY $128 MILLION
OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS, WHEN
EVERS HAD PROPOSED A $1.6
BILLION INCREASE.
THE REPUBLICAN VERSION ALSO DOES
NOT MEET THE SPENDING THRESHOLD
SET BY FEDERAL RULES FOR
WISCONSIN TO GET $1.5 BILLION IN
THE LATEST PANDEMIC AID PACKAGE
TO SCHOOLS.
THE WISCONSIN RURAL SCHOOLS
ALLIANCE SAYS THAT WITH ITS
ACTION, THE JOINT FINANCE
COMMITTEE GETS AN F ON
ADEQUATELY INVESTING IN K-12
EDUCATION.
WE TURN TO THE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF THE RURAL SCHOOLS
ALLIANCE.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME,
FREDERICA.
APPRECIATE IT.
>> FREDERICA: WHEN THE JOINT
FINANCE COCHAIR SAYS THEY
REPRESENT A RESPONSIBLE BUDGET,
WHAT DO YOU SAY?
>> I THINK THEY MISSED A GREAT
OPPORTUNITY.
THERE IS A LOT OF SURPLUS COMING
IN AND THERE ARE A LOT OF ISSUES
THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSD IN THIS
BUDGET.
THEY ARE RELYING A LOT ON THE
FEDERAL FUNDING THAT IS COMING
IN, BUT MISSING THE POINT ON THE
FEDERAL FUNDING THAT THAT IS
DEDICATED TO COVID RELIEF AND
COVID ACTIVITIES, AND IS NOT
MEANT TO BACKFILL AND AS YOU HAD
STATED EARLIER, THE $128 MILLION
IS ONLY ABOUT 10% OF WHAT THE
GOVERNOR PUT IN THE ORIGINAL
BUDGET.
I THINK A COUPLE THINGS THAT
REALLY CONCERN US IS THERE IS NO
INCREASE IN GENERAL AID OR
REVENUE CEILING AND NO INCREASE
IN PER-PUPIL SPENDING IN THAT.
WHAT WE ARE REALLY CONCERNED
ABOUT HEADING DOWN THE ROAD,
WITH THE JOINT FINANCE
COMMITTEE, WE ARE REALLY RELYING
ON THIS ONE TIME FEDERAL
FUNDING, IT IS SETTING US UP FOR
A FINANCIAL CLIFF FOR THE NEXT
TWO YEARS.
I KNOW THE GOP MEMBERS, MEMBERS
OF JOINT FINANCE AND MANY GOP
LEGISLATORS DON'T LIKE
REFERENDUMS AND THIS WILL PUT US
BACK IN THAT CYCLE OF
REFERENDUMS, WHERE HERE THEY HAD
THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE THE
SURPLUS THAT WE HAVE -- PROBABLY
THE BIGGEST SURPLUS WE HAVE HAD
IN A LONG TIME, TO REALLY TAKE
CARE OF SOME OF THOSE ISSUES AND
TO PREVENT DISTRICTS, ESPECIALLY
RURAL DISTRICTS, FROM GOING TO
OPERATIONAL REFERENDUMS TO KEEP
THEIR DOORS OPEN.
>> FREDERICA: IN ADDITION TO
THE FISCAL CLIFF, NOT
MAINTAINING A CERTAIN THRESHOLD
OF STATE EDUCATION FUNDING PUTS
THAT FEDERAL AID AT RISK ITSELF
UNDER FEDERAL RULES.
. BUT MAJORITY REPUBLICAN
BUDGET WRITERS THINK THAT CAN BE
MANAGED.
WHAT KIND OF GAMBLE DOES THAT
REPRESENT IN YOUR MIND?
>> TO ME, IT IS A BIG GAMBLE
BECAUSE IT IS NOT ONLY AFFECTING
THE SR-3 MONEY THAT HASN'T BEEN
SENT OUT YET, BUT IT IS ALSO
GOING TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE
SECOND YEAR OF THIS SR-2 MONEY
THAT IS COMING.
AND A LOT OF OUR FOLKS -- AS WE
GET INTO THE SUMMER, JUST
HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO PUT THEIR
CLAIMS IN YET SO WE'LL BE DOING
THAT OVER THE SUMMERTIME HERE SO
THE DECISION NOT TO MEET THE --
>> FREDERICA: THE THRESHOLD FOR
STATE FUNDING, YEAH.
>> THANK YOU, YES.
WOULD BE REAL DEVASTATING IF WE
DON'T GET THAT MONEY BECAUSE
THESE PEOPLE WERE PLANNING ON
IT, THEY JUST HAVEN'T HAD TIME
TO GET THEIR RECEIPTS SUBMITTED
TO THE DPI.
SO, AGAIN, THAT COULD REALLY PUT
US IN A REAL BIND.
>> FREDERICA: SO YOU TALK ABOUT
THIS MONEY COMING IN, AND A LOT
OF COVID RELIEF HAS COME IN TO
THE STATE.
ARE SCHOOLS BEING GREEDY TO WANT
SO MUCH SPENDING AT THIS TIME?
>> I DON'T THINK SO.
. I BELIEVE THROUGH THIS WHOLE
PANDEMIC, THEY HAVE SPENT A LOT
OF EXTRA MONEY ON THINGS THEY
WOULDN'T HAVE SPENT ON,
ESPECIALLY LAST SPRING WHEN WE
HAD TO MAKE A PIVOT FROM
FACE-TO-FACE TO EVERYBODY GOING
VIRTUAL.
A LOT OF RURAL DISTRICTS WERE
PAYING FOR INTERNET PLANS FOR
FAMILIES, HOT SPOTS, PURCHASING
ADDITIONAL COMPUTERS, AND AS WE
WENT INTO THIS FALL, WHAT WE
REALIZED FROM LAST SPRING IS SO
MANY OF OUR KIDS GOT LEFT OUT
LAST SPRING BECAUSE OF LACK OF
INTERNET SERVICE, SO A LOT OF
OUR RURAL DISTRICTS WERE SENDING
OUT CLASSROOM PACKETS VIA BUS
ROUTES AND DELIVERING TO
FAMILIES AND TEACHERS CONTACTING
BY PHONE OR SOME KIND OF
SOCIALLY DISTANCED, FACE-TO-FACE
WHERE THEY COULD AT LEAST ASK
QUESTIONS IN THAT.
THERE WAS JUST A LOT OF
UNEXPECTED COSTS THERE AND --
>> FREDERICA: JUST SUPER
QUICKLY, ONE OF THE THINGS THE
MAJORITY BUDGET WRITERS WANT TO
DO IS REWARD DISTRICTS WHO
STAYED OPEN THROUGH AT LEAST 50%
OF THE PANDEMIC.
THEY WANT TO REWARD THEM WITH
AID.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT,
ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT IT WAS
LARGELY RURAL DISTRICTS THAT DID
RETURN TO IN-PERSON.
>> YEAH, IT IS AN ADVANTAGE FOR
OUR RURAL DISTRICTS BECAUSE MANY
OF THEM WERE FACE-TO-FACE
BECAUSE OF THE INTERNET ISSUE,
BUT WE ARE ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT
THE WHOLE PRECIPICE THAT IS
SETTING.
DISTRICTS TALK ABOUT LOCAL
CONTROL AND SO MANY DISTRICTS
DID WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS RIGHT.
MANY RURAL DISTRICTS WERE
FACE-TO-FACE.
MANY MODERATE DISTRICTS WERE
HYBRID AND THEN THE LARGER
DISTRICTS FELT THE VIRTUAL, AND
THAT IS WHAT WAS BEST.
I THINK EVERYBODY DID THE BEST
THEY COULD WITH WHAT THEY HAD.
>> FREDERICA: WE'LL BE WATCHING
GOING FORWARD.
THAN