Last week, I delivered my 2017 Budget Address. Our budget
proposal reinvests the Reform Dividend, or the money we’ve saved over the years
as a result of our common-sense reforms to get our fiscal house in order, back
into our top priorities – student success, accountable government, and
rewarding work.
Ensuring our students succeed – both in and outside the
classroom – is crucial to Wisconsin’s continued success because today’s
students are the future leaders of our state.
That’s why we’re investing more money before into public
education. Here are a few of the student success investments we include in our
budget proposal:
-
State aid for schools is at
an all-time high.
-
$11.5 billion in state support for K-12
education.
-
Increase per-pupil state aid
by $509.2 million. This represents the largest
per-pupil categorical aid increase in history, providing a $200 per-pupil
increase in the first year and $204 increase per-pupil in the second year of
the biennium.
- The University of Wisconsin
System receives an increase of more than $100 million
-
An additional $35 million will fully fund a 5 percent tuition cut for resident UW
undergraduate students.
-
$42.5 million in performance
funding distributed to UW institutions based on improving college
affordability and attainment, enhancing work readiness, graduates finding jobs
in Wisconsin, and college efficiency.
-
Need-based financial
assistance rise to the highest levels in state history.
-
$10 million increase in aid
for the Wisconsin Technical College System. This will, in part, offset
a freeze in technical college fees saving the typical student $279 over the
next two years.
The Reform Dividend
makes these investments possible and by focusing on student success, we’re
helping our students fuel the growth of Wisconsin’s economy.
This Friday, February
17, 2017, I’ll host my fifth Facebook Live event at 4:45 p.m.
It’s incredibly
important to me that I hear from you, the people of Wisconsin. These Facebook
Live events give me the chance to answer your questions directly and hear from
you about what you think is important for Wisconsin. As we continue to move our
state forward, your feedback is crucial to us as we shape our top priorities.
To submit a question,
please visit my Facebook page by clicking here
or on the image above. And if you don’t already, please follow me on Facebook and on
Twitter @GovWalker
to stay up-to-date on all of the great things happening throughout our state.
We’ll continue to host
these Facebook Live events throughout the year. Be sure to check out our
Facebook Live this Friday at 4:45 p.m. and keep an eye out for the next one!
We enjoy sharing all the great news about our state with you. It is an honor to serve as your Governor and represent the people of Wisconsin.
Sincerely,
Governor Scott Walker
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