The “Fully Funded” School Spending Hoax
The public school establishment cherry picks years to make its case that schools are being shortchanged. Fact: Wisconsin public schools already are more than “fully funded.”
The “Fully Funded” School Spending Hoax
Governor-elect David Crowley is joined by Democratic legislative majorities in pledging to “fully fund” public schools.
Using a nonpartisan, authoritative source, the most objective measure — inflation adjusted spending/pupil — shows that Wisconsin public schools already are more than “fully funded.”
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the undisputed source for reliable data.
Per NCES, per pupil K-12 spending in Wisconsin public schools in 1969-70 was $7,003 (2022-23 $). Half a century later, in 2020-21, it had reached $17,253.*
So, after adjusting for inflation, spending had more than doubled — the actual growth was 146%.
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The public school establishment cherry picks years to make its case. So, for example, it is correct that inflation during the Biden Administration has caused reduced real per pupil spending when compared to 2020-21. Also, during the early Walker years there was a decline. However, as the NCES data demonstrate, the long-term trend still shows far more than a doubling of spending.
Supporters of “fully funded” schools have yet to identify an amount that would achieve their goal. If history is a guide, whatever level is set in the 2027-29 budget will in short be deemed insufficient by public school leaders. There has never been an occasion when they believed schools were “fully funded.”
*2020-21 is the last year NCES has available national data that includes Wisconsin. Source: Digest of Education Statistics, NCES, Table 236.70. Current expenditures per pupil in average daily attendance in public elementary and secondary schools, by state or jurisdiction: Selected school years, 1969-70 through 2020-21.
George Mitchell is a veteran of local and state public policy in Wisconsin and a long-time advocate for Educational Choice.
Dairyland Sentinel follows a published Editorial Policy, Ethics Statement and Corrections Policy.
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