MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – The state’s top public school official, Dr. Jill Underly, emphasized the need for more funding in classrooms in her State of Education address at the Wisconsin State Capitol on Thursday.
“For far too long, Wisconsin has carried a painful and unacceptable label,” Underly, the state superintendent of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction said.
The Badger State has the largest Black to white student achievement gap in the country.
The U.S. Department of Education’s National Assessment of Educational Progress reported that in 2024, only 5% of Black Wisconsin fourth graders were proficient or better in math, and 8% in reading.
Underly attributes a lack of opportunities to the achievement gap.
“We need to invest in teachers,” Underly said to press after her speech. “We need to make sure that programs are robust in our schools, but really it’s a complicated answer.”
Throughout the speech, Underly slammed the Trump administration for federal funding uncertainties.
The speech also highlighted some successes, such as high school graduation rates being at an all-time high and Wisconsin’s students on performing, on-average at or above the national in all grades and subjects, according to DPI.
In response, Wisconsin State Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu wrote in a statement, “the state of education in Wisconsin can be summed up in one word: unaccountable… Parents, students and taxpayers deserve better.”
During this year’s state budget process, the powerful Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee passed more money for special education reimbursement but opted not to give any increase in general state aid to Wisconsin schools.
Many Republicans in the state legislature contend giving more money to schools won’t solve funding issues. Last week, Republicans announced a series of education-focused bills, one of which would provide financial incentives for school districts to voluntarily consolidate their resources with other districts to reduce overhead costs.
Wisconsin Republicans say that consolidation could help address the costs of declining student enrollment.
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