GBAPS District reacts to state biennial budget

GREEN BAY, WI—(WGBW)— The Green Bay Area Public School District says Wisconsin’s 2025-2027 biennial budget doesn’t supply funding needed for the school district. The GBAPS district stated that it will have to make cuts, and the state budget places the burden of funding schools on property owners’ shoulders.

“This 2025-27 biennium budget falls far short of addressing the financial needs of our District and shifts the burden onto local property owners,” the GBAPS district said in a press release. 

Key points of concern

The GBAPS district lists the following as their main concerns with the new biennial budget signed into law by Governor Tony Evers on Thursday of last week.

• At a time when Wisconsin has a budget surplus, this budget does not provide any new state aid to address inflation. This is unprecedented.
• The $325 per pupil aid for 2025-26 and 2026-27, which would typically be funded through state aid, instead is shifted to local property owners, requiring the school district to increase its levy. This represents a significant shift in how public schools have been funded since revenue limits were introduced in 1993.
• The special education reimbursement increase to 42% in 2025-26 and 45% in 2026-27 is not guaranteed, and experience suggests that the GBAPS district will not receive the full amount of the promised funding. Instead, a more accurate assumption would be 39% reimbursement, which is approximately $3.1M more to support our students with disabilities. Each year, the District transfers $35 million from the general fund to special education. While an additional $3.1 million is helpful, it falls far short of addressing the needs.
• The budget also includes an increase in higher-cost special education expenses, which will equate to about $200,000 for GBAPS. This funding increase will impact very few school districts and have little positive impact for students.
• GBAPS is one of the 66% of Wisconsin public school districts that will receive less state aid in 2025-26. When state aid decreases, property taxes increase because of the structure of revenue limits set forth by the State Legislature since 1993. This budget shifts the burden of funding public schools to property taxpayers.

Act 20 funding

The GBAPS district also called out funding for Act 20. The Legislature released $9 million of the $50 million promised to the Department of Public Instruction to go toward literacy coaching. The remaining $41 million that was not released goes back into the general budget.

GBAPS utilized one-time ESSER (COVID-19 Relief) funds to support these purchases. It does not anticipate receiving any additional support, as literacy coaches are already staffed within the District.

“…For the next two school years, the 2025-27 state budget will result in the District making additional cuts, as revenue is not expected to keep pace with inflation.”

Green Bay Area Public Schools District

The GBAPS administration and the Board of Education will continue their efforts to balance the budget; however, for the next two school years, the 2025-27 state budget will result in the District making additional cuts, as revenue is not expected to keep pace with inflation.