Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers visits Jefferson Elementary School in Oshkosh Wednesday, September 4, 2024. PC: Fox 11 Online
OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — While touring an Oshkosh elementary school Wednesday, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers delved into increasing funding for higher education, which he calls a need.
“It’s part of our state’s economy. If we want to have a solid economy and economy for everyone that’s working, we need to have our public systems working at top speed,” said Evers.
Evers urged the Universities of Wisconsin to request more funding back in June. Nearly three months later, he echoed that support when asked about his thoughts on the system’s ask for an additional $855 million in funds.
“We will fight for that amount. I mean, it’s necessary. Whether it’s Oshkosh or Madison, it doesn’t make any difference. They’re all suffering in some fashion,” said Evers.
The Universities of Wisconsin has long emphasized how they believe the state has fallen behind in providing adequate funding.
Data from the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association shows Wisconsin ranked 43rd out of 50 states in public four-year University funding in 2021.
Other Midwestern states are ranked in the top 10. Illinois ranks first, Michigan sits at third, Iowa is at seventh and Minnesota is at eighth.
However, when talking with Republican Representative David Steffen last week, he said the figure for Wisconsin doesn’t tell the whole story.
“If you include our two-year universities, our tech colleges, then those, our ranking is far different,” said Steffen on Aug. 28. “We have to make our own determinations for our own state, and the comparisons can be made either way as to the value of the education. The bottom line is, we have to make sure that every single dollar is well spent for every program, including the UW system.”
The Universities of Wisconsin has promised not to increase tuition the next two academic years if their budget request is approved — though there’s no guarantees, as it would need approval from the legislature.
Governor Evers’ stop in Oshkosh was part of a multi-city tour across the state, welcoming students and staff back to the classroom. Evers started the tour at Madison elementary school, made a stop at Jefferson Elementary in Oshkosh and wrapped up his tour at a Stevens Point middle school.
Before being elected governor in 2019, Evers was state superintendent of schools for nearly a decade — and before that he served as teacher and school administrator.
“It’s a great way to start a school year. Obviously, I’ve been doing this for 48 years. I’ve had 48 first days of school and everyone is special,” Evers said. “Really it was great to see everybody.”
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