K-12, child care officials watch funding proposals as Wisconsin lawmakers draft budget

Southwest Wisconsin educators and child care providers are paying close attention to the state budget process as Republican legislators counter Gov. Tony Evers’ funding proposals with what they consider more fiscally feasible alternatives. Earlier this month, the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance approved a motion that would bring the rate at which the state reimburses school districts to an estimated 35% of special education costs in the first year of the 2025-2027 budget and to 37.5% in the second year. This represents an increase from the current reimbursement of about 32% but is less than the 60% proposed by Evers earlier this year. The motion also increases the reimbursement for high-cost special education from 24% to 90% by the 2026-2027 school year. Child care providers are awaiting news on child care funding in the biennial budget, especially the future of Child Care Counts. This program launched in 2020, gave child care providers federal money mainly to help retain staff and keep their prices stable. Federal funds ran dry in 2023, and a scaled-down version of the program since has continued. Without additional state investment, however, Child Care Counts is expected to end June 30. Evers this week threatened to veto a budget that does not include funding for Child Care Counts. In his executive budget, Evers proposed $480 million for the program over the biennium.  th