Wisconsin State Superintendent Jill Underly continued to unveil new spending proposals for the state, including $304 million for youth mental health, $294 million for universal free meals, $59.5 million for recruiting and retaining educators and $42 million for early literacy initiatives in the upcoming 2025-2027 biennial budget request.
The announcements come in the weeks leading up to a Nov. 5 election where 137 public school referendums are on local Nov. 5 ballots across the state, threatening to increase property taxes in those local districts.
Underly’s proposals have come along with the backdrop of the state’s $4.6 billion general fund balance after last fiscal year.
Rather than adjust taxing level to how much the state is spending, Underly has proposed spending more on education throughout the state, both in general aid and her new proposals.
