July 30, 2025 9p
(WGTD)---During a stop in downtown Kenosha Wednesday, Gov. Evers offered no apologies for signing a two-year budget bill that falls far short of what some public schools in Wisconsin say they need in aid from state government. However, Evers conceded that modest increases in per pupil spending and special education reimbursements weren’t enough, but said the bill was the result of a bi-partisan compromise.
Evers spoke over the noise of coolers at Scoops Ice Cream and Candy. "We provided some additional resources but not enough," he said. "That's the way it works now. It's going to be a bi-partisan effort," said Evers, predicting that neither party in the foreseeable future will be able to steamroll their agenda through state government.
Evers said he believes most legislators understand that the current state aid formula for education isn’t sustainable, and predicted that discussions on the topic will continue.
The small group of invited guests included KUSD Superintendent Jeff Weiss. He noted that the district expects to lose $7 million in equalized aid because property values in the district are higher than average and the bill included no increase in funding for the program. Weiss said he’s trying to figure out how to prepare property taxpayers for a jump in taxes in order to make up the difference. "My concern is that the citizens of Kenosha are going to see a pretty healthy property tax increase when they have just voted no for a referendum," he said.
Also speaking was former Kenosha County Executive John Collins who sits on the board for the Shalom Center. The non-profit operates a food pantry, homeless shelter and soup kitchen in Kenosha. With two days’ notice, Shalom recently lost eight, part-time workers who were getting paid through a U.S. Labor Dept. senior job training program. Collins said he’s concerned about the shrinking safety net.
In lamenting the losses, Evers noted that the state has filed numerous lawsuits against the Trump administration and is winning a fair number.
Wednesday's event at Scoops was part of the governor’s observance of National Ice Cream Month.
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