Commentary on Wisconsin K-12 Tax & Spending Policies
A three-year-rolling average requirement means that a student who leaves a school district today will still be partially funded by taxpayers for three years. Moreover, funding for our school choice and independent charter school students exists entirely outside of the system that funds public schools, even as more and more students take advantage of these programs.This archaic system fails to reflect the dynamic nature of modern education, where students regularly move between districts and sectors. Our system is essentially funding ghost students who are not actually attending the schools receiving the funding. Particularly in the aftermath of COVID-19, it is vital that education funding in Wisconsin be less tied to buildings, and more to where students live.