Elementary and Secondary Education

Promote educational equity and access to educational opportunities for each child through non discriminatory policies and an equitable state aids formula while retaining substantial program and personnel responsibilities in the local district.

Support of a system of state elementary and secondary education which includes:

• Recognition and protection of civil rights for students and employees, e.g. Freedom of Speech, Due Process, Rights to Privacy.
• Recognition and respect for the role of the Department of Public Instruction as the education authority for teacher licensure and development and implementation of curriculum.

An educational aids formula which primarily equalizes funds raised at similar taxing rates and, secondarily, equalizes spending per student, with the following qualifications:

• a system of financing which ensures that a child's opportunity for a good education is not limited by the fiscal ability of the local district and that the state will assume a significant amount of educational financing.
• a system of financing which promotes equality in educational opportunity with emphasis on instructional costs and adjusted funding for students with special educational needs.

Reorganization of school districts into K-12 systems.

Substantial control of school programs and personnel by the local school district.

Charter school authority given only to K-12 public school districts to maintain Wisconsin’s commitment to local control of K-12 public education.

A system of school choice within the public school system, but which does not include any tax dollars being given to private or religious schools.

A requirement of all institutions or organizations that receive public funds for K-12 education to meet the same requirements as public schools, including:

• accounting for the use of public funds;
• meeting performance standards for their students;
• meeting the same state standards for all school employees.

Wisconsin Technical College System

Structure

In addition to the WTCS board and administration, each of the 16 colleges operate as a local
unit of government with a separate district board. The local technical college has tax levy
authority, which provides local revenue, ensuring that local taxpayers are stakeholders in the
colleges. Operating in a shared governance model, decisions are made at the local level as
much as possible. LWVWI supports this structure which relies on local decision making and
support.

Funding

Funding streams include district property tax, state general revenue, federal aid, and tuition
fees. In 2022 – 23 the state appropriated $103.3 million to WTCS. These state funds are
distributed to the 16 colleges using formulae which take into consideration the community’s tax
base, enrollment, and performance outcomes.

WTCS and technical colleges rely on state funding to sustain industry-aligned education and
comprehensive student support services. As open access institutions, technical colleges need
public resources to support student populations with varied needs and at different points along
their educational journey. The strength of any academic institution relies on the ability to
attract and retain high-quality faculty and staff. LWVWI supports sufficient state funding to
WTCS to serve its mission to the state.

Student Pathways

WTCS collaborates with communities, K-12 institutions, and higher education institutions to
develop seamless educational pathways for students throughout their lives, creating easy
transitions between education and career.

• At the K-12 level, dual credit programs provide opportunities for students to earn college credit at no cost to the student or their families. LWVWI supports technical college and K-12 partnerships to provide dual credit programs.
• At the higher education level, partnerships among the Universities of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities ensure that there are places for students to continue their education using transfer pathways into technical colleges as well as out. LWVWI supports agreements between programs and institutions to allow all higher education partners to be responsive to student needs.
• Partnerships with employers and workforce development agencies inform career pathways and support hands-on learning opportunities, including the state-registered apprenticeship programs for which technical colleges provide classroom instruction. LWVWI supports apprenticeship programs alongside programs in emerging occupations that span multiple industry sectors.

Financial Aid

State financial aid programs provide essential financial support for students in need. WTCS
students rely on these programs to reduce barriers to postsecondary education. LWVWI
supports increased state investment in financial aid programs and supports access to these
programs for technical college students.

University of Wisconsin System

In principle, the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin believes that:

Every Wisconsin resident should have access to quality public higher education that teaches critical thinking, knowledge acquisition and communication skills and engenders lifelong learning. Academic freedom, the relentless seeking of truth, shared governance, and the Wisconsin Idea (education should influence people’s lives beyond the classroom), are the hallmarks of the University of Wisconsin System and the key to quality higher education.

Funding of the University of Wisconsin System* (UWS) is a good investment for the state. The University of Wisconsin System plays a significant role in Wisconsin’s economy, according to a 2018 Economic Impact Study prepared by NorthStar Analytics. This 2018 economic impact study identifies the following annual impact areas (based on 2016-17 fiscal year data):

• Total economic impact on the Wisconsin economy was $24 billion
• Number of jobs generated and supported: 167,000
• Local and state taxes generated: $1.1 billion
• There is a 23:1 return on investment for every dollar invested by the state.

As such, public policy should be supportive of the UWS and its ability to sustain its value to the state and its residents. We support public policy, including legislation, in the following areas:

Finance

We support sufficient state revenue for higher education so that:

• It is affordable through both reasonable tuition and accessible financial aid.
• The System can attract and retain high quality faculty and staff.
• The System can finance safe and state-of-the-art buildings, technology, equipment, and campus grounds.

We support financial decisions being made primarily at the System and campus level.

Funding goals should include:

• Tuition levels based on instructional costs, with consideration to keeping education affordable and making financial aid available;
• Maintaining UWS faculty and academic staff salaries at levels which attract and retain superior teachers and assure diversity.
• Increased funding for instruction following stated guidelines and providing sufficient instruction to enable graduation within four years;
• County funding of UW center facilities.

UW System student tuition and faculty/staff salaries should be maintained at levels that attract superior individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Admissions

Admission policies of the UWS should reflect the belief that every Wisconsin citizen should have access to a university education based on demonstrated academic ability.
We support admission policies that provide high quality educational opportunities for all students in a diverse learning environment.

We support the right and responsibility of the faculty at individual UW institutions to develop, implement, and oversee institution-specific admission policies that adhere to the broad guidelines and criteria established by the Wisconsin State Legislature and the Board of Regents.

Role of the Legislature 

We support legislation that provides adequate state funding for the University of Wisconsin System (UWS). We support timely approval of appointees to the UWS Board of Regents.

We support legislation that clearly recognizes the primary responsibility of the Board of Regents to enact policies and promulgate rules for governing the UWS. The legislature’s role does not extend to controlling or influencing the spectrum of knowledge or research.

Shared Governance 

We support the important concept and practice of shared governance at both the system and campus level. Internal governance of the institutions should be made at the campus level and must adhere to the principles of sharing governance with faculty, staff, and students. For example, shared governance issues include decisions regarding tenure, research, and curriculum.

Academic Freedom

We support academic freedom, free speech, and the relentless seeking of truth as  essential to a university.

Research and Technology Transfer 

We support decisions regarding the conduct of types of research and technology development belonging at the campus level. The legislature should not make decisions that impede the ability of the university to conduct leading edge research or the potential for transferring knowledge to the world through technology transfer, patenting/licensing, and commercialization. The topics and findings of research and tech transfer are driven by the mission of seeking truth and knowledge, and applying that knowledge to improve the world, and therefore should not be influenced by personal beliefs or political ideology.

Student Voting Rights

We support the League’s voting rights positions.

We support policies and practices that support and facilitate students’ ability to vote legally in elections. Examples include:

• University student IDs should be accepted as identification for voting.
• Students should not be required to re-register to vote each time they move within university housing.
• Students should be provided accessible and convenient opportunities to register and to vote, along with effective communications about those opportunities.