OVERTURNED.
>> JOSH KAUL, THANKS VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> IN LIEU OF INVITATION TO
SPEAK TO BUDGET WRITERS OF THE
JOINT FINANCE COMMENCEMENT,
STATE PUBLIC INSTRUCTION JILL
UNDERLY PRESENTED HER EDUCATION
BUDGET PRIORITIES TO A PANEL OF
STUDENTS AT MOUNT HOREB HIGH
SCHOOL WHO THEN PRESENTED HER
WITH QUESTIONS FROM THE STUDENT
PERSPECTIVE.
>> ON THE TOPIC OF MENTAL
HEALTH, I CAN SAY FROM OUR
SCHOOL THAT THERE'S VERY FEW
RESOURCES AVAILABLE.
ESSENTIALLY WHAT IT CONSISTS OF
HERE IS CALL THIS PHONE NUMBER
IF YOU'RE HAVING SUICIDAL
THOUGHTS OR TALK TO ONE OF TWO
PEOPLE IN THE OFFICE.
AND ACTUALLY, IN FACT, ONE OF
THE PEOPLE ON THIS -- SITTING
HERE WITH ME WAS TELLING ME A
LITTLE STORY ABOUT HOW WE WERE
HAVING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS
AND THEY WENT TO ONE OF THE
COUNSELORS AND THEY WERE TOLD TO
COME BACK WHEN THEY HAD AN
APPOINTMENT.
SO PRETTY DISFUNCTIONAL, AND SO
I'M VERY CURIOUS TO SEE HOW THIS
$235 MILLION, I GUESS, MENTAL
HEALTH GRANT IS GOING TO HELP TO
BUILD THOSE SERVICES.
>> WE'RE NOT ONLY SHORT STAFFED
IN MENTAL HEALTH, IT'S JUST
PROBLEMS ARE ALSO MORE
DIFFICULT, AND TAKE MORE TIME
AND SO THE BUDGET ASK IS
REQUESTING A BASE AMOUNT FOR
EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT OF
$100,000, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL
$100 PER STUDENT.
SO YOU'D HAVE $200,000 TO HIRE
ADDITIONAL STAFF, POSSIBLY BRING
IN CONTRACTORS IN MENTAL HEALTH.
I KNOW THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER
OF THEM PARTICULARLY IN THIS
AREA.
>> DURING THE SUMMER, I WORK
WITH THE SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAMS
HERE AT MOUNT HOREB AND I HELP
STUDENTS IN MATH AND READINGS
AND OTHER SUBJECTS THAT ARE
STRUGGLING AND I WOULD SAY
THERE'S A GOOD PORTION OF
STUDENTS THAT ARE SPECIAL
EDUCATION IN THOSE CLASSES THAT
NEED THE HELP DURING THE SUMMER
AND THERE'S MAYBE ONE
PROFESSIONAL PER TWO TO THREE
STUDENTS SO I'VE HELPED OUT A
LOT OF THESE STUDENTS TRYING TO
HELP THEM LEARN DURING THE
SUMMER, BUT I'M NOT A TRAINED
PROFESSION AND THESE STUDENTS
NEED MORE ACCESS AND SUPPORT IN
ORDER TO UNLOCK THEIR POTENTIAL,
SO HOW DO YOU ALLOCATE THE
BUDGET SO THAT SPECIAL EDUCATION
PROGRAMS ARE PRIORITIZED AND
PARRA PROFESSIONAL PATHWAYS ARE
MADE EASIER?
>> SO RIGHT NOW, WISCONSIN
REIMBURSES, AS A SHARED EARLIER,
ON SPECIAL EDUCATION COSTS, 30%,
ROUGHLY.
THE BUDGET THAT WE'RE PROPOSING
AT THE DEPARTMENT WOULD INCREASE
THAT AMOUNT TO 45 FERRIES AND
THEN -- 45% AND THEN 60%.
YOUR SCHOOL WOULD BE CLOSER TO
$2 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL
REIMBURSEMENT SO THAT HAPPEN
FUNDING COULD GO TOWARDS HIRING
ADDITIONAL STAFF, IT COULD GO
TOWARDS TRAINING, IT COULD GO
TOWARDS RAISING SALARIES.
NOT JUST IN SPECIAL EDUCATION,
BUT IN ALL PROGRAMS, BECAUSE, AS
I SAID, THAT FUNDING IS BEING
TRANSFERRED FROM OTHER PROGRAMS
IN ORDER TO MEET THAT.
SO, REALLY, WHAT YOU'VE