Public Schools Face Uncertain Budget Future

Wisconsin state government got some good fiscal news when the nonpartisan legislative fiscal Bureau reported on August 31st that tax revenues were still relatively high this year, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. That makes it less likely that the legislature will have to enact a budget repair bill for the current year. While the 2020 budget is looking bearable, all bets are off for 2021. A new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum warns that the state’s public school system is already falling behind, and new budget cuts could make things worse. Anne Chapman is a senior researcher for the Wisconsin Policy Forum.