Statutes Relating to the Common School Fund

September 2008

The Common School Fund was created in Article X, Section 2, of the State Constitution. That section indicates that "income from interest and other revenues derived from the school land shall be exclusively applied to the following objects, to wit: 1. to support the maintenance of common schools in each school district and the purchase of suitable libraries and apparatus therefore..."

The distribution of the Common School Fund income is addressed in Section 5 of Article X: "Provision shall be made by law for the distribution of the income of the school fund among the several towns and cities of the state for the support of common schools therein, in some just proportion to the number of children and youth resident therein between the ages of four and twenty years..."

Chapter 43.70 of the Wisconsin Statutes indicates that "Moneys apportioned from the Common School Fund may be expended only for the purchase of instructional materials from the state historical society for use in teaching Wisconsin history and for the purchase of library books and other instructional materials for school libraries. In addition, a school district may use the moneys received to purchase school library computers and related software if the school board consults with the person who supervises the school district’s libraries and the computers and software are housed in the school library." The person who supervises the school libraries is the district’s designated certified library media coordinator as per Wisconsin Administrative Code PI 8.01(2)(h).

The Common School Fund itself has grown to over $635 million. This money is available for loans to school districts and local municipalities. The income from loans made from this fund is apportioned to the public schools, based on the school census of persons between age 4 and age 20 residing in the school district on the preceding June 30. All monies from the fund are paid to the public schools, as none of this fund can be disbursed to private schools.

By May 1 of each year the State sends a payment to each local school district. The accounting system classifies this payment as "library aid." The fund distributed $35 million or $28.09 per student in the 2007-08 school year. Because not all persons between age 4 and 20 are enrolled in public schools, the per student amount is higher.

This allocation can be spent by the school district for library books, audiovisual materials, newspapers, periodicals, instructional software and reference materials in print and electronic formats for the library collection. Additionally, the CSF allocation can be used to purchase computers and related software for the school library.

This allocation cannot be used to purchase textbooks or equipment (except for library computers) for classrooms or other areas of the school, nor can it be used for the rental of any items. It may be spent only for the items listed above, and those items must be part of the collection of materials housed in and circulated to all students and teachers from the library or instructional media center (WUFAR Function Code #222 000).

Relevant text from the Wisconsin Statutes is as follows:

43.70(1)
(1) No later than October 15 of each year, each school district administrator shall certify to the state superintendent, on forms provided by the state superintendent, a report of the number of persons residing in the school district on the preceding June 30, as reported under s. 120.18 (1) (a). See s. 120.18 (1) (a).

43.70(2)
(2) Annually by January 10, the state superintendent shall apportion the amount that is estimated to be appropriated under s. 20.255 (2) (s) in the current school year to the school districts in proportion to the number of persons resident therein, as shown by the report certified under sub. (1).

43.70(3)
(3) Immediately upon making such apportionment, the state superintendent shall certify to the department of administration the estimated amount that each school district is entitled to receive under this section and shall notify each school district administrator of the estimated amount so certified for his or her school district. The department of administration shall distribute each school district's aid entitlement in one payment on or before May 1. The amount paid to each school district shall be based upon the amount in the appropriation account under s. 20.255 (2) (s) on April 15. All moneys distributed under this section shall be expended for the purchase of instructional materials from the state historical society for use in teaching Wisconsin history and for the purchase of library books and other instructional materials for school libraries, but not for public library facilities operated by school districts under s. 43.52, in accordance with rules promulgated by the state superintendent. Appropriate records of such purchases shall be kept and necessary reports thereon shall be made to the state superintendent.

History: 1971 c. 152 s. 12; 1977 c. 418; 1985 a. 332 s. 251 (6); 1989 a. 31, 359; 1995 a. 27; 1997 a. 27, 87; 2001 a. 16; 2003 a. 33.