Tony Evers proposes mix of school spending and tax relief, but GOP wants all the funds for tax cut

MADISON - Gov. Tony Evers wants lawmakers to devote $252 million toward schools and property tax relief in the coming weeks — a plan the Legislature's top Republicans all but rejected within minutes. 

Evers is calling on lawmakers to take up a bill that would restore the state's commitment to funding two-thirds of school costs and provide more money for school services for students with disabilities, students with mental health needs and summer school programs. 

The bill also would increase funding for rural schools by $10 million and provide $130 million in property tax relief by funneling the money into the state's formula for funding schools, known as equalization aid.  

"This is about kids, this is about tax reduction, but at the end of the day it’s the right thing for the state of Wisconsin," Evers said at a news conference Thursday in the state Capitol.

But just before Evers revealed his plan, which spends much of nearly $452 million in unexpected revenue the state can spend by June 2021, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said his members were focused on cutting taxes, not providing schools with more money.

After the plan was released, Fitzgerald was even more blunt: 

"Senate Republicans have been focused since late last year on using our surplus for a tax cut for hard-working families, and the governor knows that," Fitzgerald said in a tweet. "I don’t see us budging off that position. It appears that the teachers' unions are the ones calling all the shots in the East Wing."

And Assembly Speaker Robin Vos tweeted: "Democrats are fixated on growing the size of government, which they know we won’t do."

Evers, flanked by school officials and public school advocates in his Capitol conference room, said the plan provides property tax relief by adding money to the state's funding formula for schools thereby reducing the need for school districts to seek more money from taxpayers.

"This is a win-win for all of us in the state of Wisconsin," he said. "That reinvestment will help districts to get out from going to referendum every two years." 

The plan includes enough funding to cover two-thirds of school districts' costs — which Vos and other Republican lawmakers promised the 2019-21 state budget would achieve — but it ultimately didn't meet the goal. 

Vos told reporters Thursday he doesn't want to seek two-thirds funding outside of the budget process. Fitzgerald signaled his caucus believes schools have received enough funding from the state for now, citing the state budget that " spent more money on schools than ever before."

"Every time the state has surplus revenue, Republicans look for ways to return that money to taxpayers. Democrats keep looking for ways to spend your money," he said in a statement.

The bill Evers wants lawmakers to take up would:

• Provide $79.1 million in 2021 to increase the rate at which the state reimburses school districts for special education costs from 30% to 34%.  
• Reimburse school districts for 100% of special education services costs over $30,000. 
• Devote $19 million for school-based mental health services. 
• Allow schools to seek extra state funding for school counselors, psychologists or nurses. 
• Increase funding for rural schools by $10.1 million and expand what kind of rural schools may seek extra funding set aside for such schools.
• Provide $3.6 million for summer school programming in Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Kenosha and Racine school districts. 
• Provide $362,200 for programs to help young tribal language learners.  
• Add $130 million in equalization aid. 

Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel contributed to this report. 

Contact Molly Beck at molly.beck@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MollyBeck.