WiRSA (Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance)
Strong Schools - Strong Communities
LAWSUIT FILED TO FUND PUBLIC SCHOOLS
A group of education stakeholders filed a lawsuit in Eau Claire County requesting the State of Wisconsin fund K-12 Education. The lawsuits established the history Wisconsin with regard to public education, then provides changes in funding for public education, and explains the growing use of referendum. It also explains the impact of Parental Choice and Charter schools on funding for public K-12 schools across Wisconsin.
The lawsuit requests the following claims for relief:
This Court should declare that the Wisconsin public school finance system, and amounts appropriated for state aid, are inadequate because the Legislature has failed to meet its constitutional obligations to Wisconsin students under article X, section 3 of the Wisconsin Constitution.
This Court should declare that the Wisconsin public school finance system, and the amount of state funding provided, does not support programming that is as uniform as practicable because the Legislature has failed to meet its constitutional obligations to Wisconsin students under article X, section 3 of the Wisconsin Constitution.
This Court should declare that the Wisconsin public school finance program is inadequate because it does not account for student needs, caused by the Legislature’s failure to meet its constitutional obligations to all Wisconsin students under article X, section 3 of the Wisconsin Constitution.
This Court should declare that the Wisconsin public school finance system is inadequate because it does not sufficiently fund special education, caused by the Legislature’s failure to meet its constitutional obligations to Wisconsin students under article X, section 3 of the Wisconsin Constitution.
This Court should declare that the Wisconsin public school finance system is inadequate because it does not account for high need students and violates equal protection under article I, section 1 of the Wisconsin Constitution.
This Court should declare that the Legislature’s inadequate state funding for public schools impermissibly deviates from first principles and violates the guarantee under article I, section 22, enjoyed by all Plaintiffs, that the State will maintain a free government.
The suit then asks that the Court:
Declare that Wisconsin’s current school finance system violates Wisconsin Constitution article X, section 3, such that the school finance system is invalid;
Declare that Wisconsin’s current school finance system violates Wisconsin Constitution article I, section 1, such that the school finance system is invalid;
Declare that Wisconsin’s current school finance system violates Wisconsin Constitution article 1, section 22, such that the school finance system is invalid;
Establish a schedule that will enable the Court—in the absence of a superseding state law, adopted by the Legislature and signed by the Governor in a timely fashion—to adopt and implement a new school finance system that meets all relevant state constitutional guarantees;
Award Plaintiffs costs, disbursements, and reasonable fees incurred in bringing this action, pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 814.01; and