(The Center Square) – The latest budget request from Wisconsin’s state superintendent doesn’t have a price tag, but it has a purpose.
Superintendent JIll Underly on Monday said she wants to increase both special education funding and mental health spending in Wisconsin’s public schools to lower the number of children who end up in seclusion or isolation.
“The alarming increase in seclusion and restraint incidents is more than just a number – it is a call to action,” Underly said in a statement.
Her latest call for more money comes after the state’s Department of Public Instruction released a report many times school districts had to use the most extreme punishments against students.
Underly said that report “shows a 15.3% increase in incidents where seclusion was used on students, and an increase of 16.9% of kids with an IEP, an in incidents where physical restraint was used” in the 2023-2024 school year.
“This trend highlights the critical need for adequate school funding, including prioritizing mental health support and providing comprehensive training for our educators,” she added.
The report says the overwhelming majority of all seclusions, 81%, are students with IEPs, an individualized education program. The report adds that a similar number of kids with IEPs, 76%, make up the vast majority of kids who are physically restrained in school.
“These troubling incidents reflect a system that needs more than just reactive measures; it needs proactive solutions,” Underly said.
She is not saying just how much more she wants to spend on those student supports.
Underly said she likes Gov. Tony Evers’ proposal to double the state’s special education reimbursement. Right now, the state covers 30% of the costs, the governor wants to up that to 60%.
Underly does have a price tag for her state mental health support plan. She’s asked for $760,000 to “improve support for existing mental health training programs.”
Underly has also asked for billions more for either general student aid or free school lunches.
It remains to be seen just how much more Wisconsin lawmakers are willing to spend on schools in the state.
The Republicans who control the state budget process say they won’t know how much they have to spend until the middle of next month.
