State Sen. Tom Tiffany and Rep. Jeff Mursau met with the Oconto Falls School Board on Jan. 12 to discuss educational and legislative issues.
Mursau presented an update regarding the Speaker’s Rural Task Force, of which he was a member. He said he hoped more rural school issues, especially adjustments in sparsity aid and transportation aid, could be addressed in the new legislative session.
Tiffany said one of his big concerns was the “one size fits all” solutions made at the state and federal levels that don’t take into account the unique circumstances of Wisconsin’s rural school districts. He was critical of the growing federal intrusion into local school districts and is a strong supporter of vouchers and the expansion of the voucher program, which provided public resources for private school students.
A recently introduced school accountability bill has drawn criticism from educators, they said. Educators are concerned about its lack of uniformity in student performance measures, the reversion to an A to F simplistic rating system, the creation of an Academic Review Board that would circumvent the authority of the state Department of Public Instruction, and a focus on punishment of low performing schools rather than providing support to elevate student achievement in those schools.
School Board members said they were proud of the success stories of the teachers and students in the district but are challenged by reduced state support for public schools and the diversion of state resources to private schools through the voucher program.
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