State superintendent statement on Joint Committee on Finance holding hearing despite no action on Act 20 funding

MADISON — State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly today released the following statement regarding the decision by the Joint Committee on Finance to not take up the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s request to release funding at a hearing today. To date, the JCF has not released over $49 million in funding appropriated in law to the DPI so the department can implement 2023 Wisconsin Act 20 and positively impact student literacy across the state.

 

“It has been almost one year since this bipartisan legislation was signed into law, yet the JCF still has not released 99% of the allocated $50 million in funding. Every day of delay makes it increasingly difficult to meet the requirements of Act 20 – a bipartisan law designed to help Wisconsin kids learn to read – and our children are the ones who will pay the price.

 

“We have been working in partnership with the legislature throughout this process, and I know our shared goal is to improve literacy education and outcomes for all Wisconsin students. This week, we announced the hire of a Literacy Director to keep moving this work forward. We renew our call on the Joint Committee on Finance to release the allocated funding so we can meet our shared goal – helping kids learn to read, so they can read to learn.”