School Funding and Educational Opportunity in Rural Wisconsin Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance Stevens Point, WI November 12, 2014 © Forward Institute, Inc. 2014

WISCONSIN SCHOOL FUNDING Study critical findings

Where you live matters

Higher poverty = lower PPRL; Type of District matters

2004 Spending Distribution

2011 Spending Distribution

WISCONSIN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Funding Disparity Survey based on FRL (Student Poverty) Funding Disparity % District Score*50

Spending/Funding Survey State Rank210 Spending Disparity % District Score*50

STEVENS POINT AREA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Disparity Based on FRL Funding Disparity % District Score*

Spending/Funding Survey State Rank Spending Disparity % District Score*

The bottom line School finance system no longer fulfills its legal, moral mission - provide equal educational opportunity defined in Vincent v. Voight to every child, regardless of need or demographic. Contributes to a new type of segregation – income inequality. Inequitable funding remains a moral issue in Wisconsin - unless the school finance system is fixed, segregation will exacerbate due to systemic funding inequity.

WHY does this matter to our communities?

HOW and WHAT we communicate is more important than the data! Public Schools provide opportunity and freedom for all children: – to learn necessary skills, knowledge. – to learn what is meaningful. – to know what is possible. Without public education there is no democracy, and no freedom. Public Schools are the heart of the community. We have a responsibility to invest in our future through public education.

Communicate School Funding as a moral issue All politics are moral. You are all moral actors. You have a responsibility to your communities. Elevate discourse above partisan. Speak moral truth about public education.

Without public education, there is no democracy, and no freedom. Without equal and adequate education funding, our public education system cannot fulfill its moral responsibility to our future.

What’s next… Forward Institute is here to help you effectively communicate the core values of public education above partisan discourse. As a result, we can CHANGE public discourse. Research study to examine whether funding and spending disparity (as measured by our index score 0 – 100) has a significant association with School Report Card Scores.

Questions…