Everyone is invited to join the League of Women Voters of the La Crosse Area for this free, online discussion of trends in public education funding, the upcoming biennial state budget and the expected debate over allocation of one-time federal pandemic relief funds.

Our speaker, Troy Gunderson, is a former superintendent of the School District of West Salem, and a 2021 candidate for the office of State Superintendent of Public Instruction. His 35-year career in public education includes stints as a classroom teacher, a high school principal, and district superintendent, giving him a broad perspective on the pressures facing educators and how public policy actions affect the capacity to serve and educate students.

The LWV has long promoted equal educational opportunity for Wisconsin’s children through an equitable state aids formula that includes retaining program and personnel responsibilities in the local district. According to a 2022 report by the Wisconsin Policy Forum, our state’s per-pupil PreK-12 school spending continues to fall below the national average. The success of recent school referenda in Wisconsin suggest that many voters are not satisfied with the spending allowed by state revenue limits.