WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) – State lawmakers of the Joint Finance Committee are wrapping up their budget listening session tour in Wausau at NTC. Tuesday is the last of four stops to take ideas from people on what they’d like to see in the next state budget.
For several hours, lawmakers listened to different ideas. An increase in funding for special education was just one of the many budget requests given.
Special needs education funding increases had community members raising and shaking their hands in support.
“Our children have a right to an education. The legislature provides the money to pay for that access to that right to their education,” Learn in My Shoes Co-founder Tiffany Schanno said. “Right now, the legislature is not taking their rights seriously.”
Learn in My Shoes advocates for double the percentage of reimbursements districts receive when they have to pull funds from general education to support special education.
Learn in My Shoes says last year, more than $3.5 million was taken from general education funds to support special needs programs. Co-founder Melissa Custer says that’s not enough support and pulled her son with special needs out of school.
“I’m currently homeschooling him because our school district could not meet his needs and it came to the point that it was hurting his health that I had to take him out to homeschool him,” she stated.
Danielle Bauer is a caregiver for her child with special needs. She’s fighting for her son to get more funds for the nursing care he receives. Bauer would like to see more funding for private care nurses, who take care of special needs children at their homes.
“People like my son and our family, we need these services, we need them and they are vital and that’s why I’m here today,” she said.
Other budget requests at Tuesday’s hearing included more funding for public transportation, libraries, and local food assistance programs.
The Joint Finance Committee has not given a timeline on when they’ll start working on the budget.
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