Back in February, Leftists in Wisconsin filed a lawsuit over school funding, claiming the Republicans' school choice plan and school funding legislation are unconstitutional and don't properly fund public education. It's a scheme to get the courts to destroy the state's school choice program, which this writer uses, and force kids back into the failing, violent, public schools that Democrats love.
Will Flanders, the Research Director for the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) easily exposed the lie that Wisconsin schools are "underfunded."
Interesting that DPI has removed files revenue files from their website that I used to disprove the narrative that schools are underfunded. I used the files to show that school districts have more inflation-adjusted money than in 2000. Wonder why they were removed? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/qOVIOYp3Vk
— Will Flanders (@WillFlandersWI) April 13, 2026
Using the state's Department of Public Instruction's (DPI) own data, Flanders proved that public schools have more inflation-adjusted money than they did in 2000.
DPI responded by hiding that data.
You can see the difference for yourself here.
Here's a link to the page as of today:https://t.co/XJIQPBm0rM
— Will Flanders (@WillFlandersWI) April 13, 2026
And the Wayback Machine showing how it looked in March: https://t.co/ysU3bXYcVk
It's brazen.
After WILL exposed that current public school funding is HIGHER than year 2000 levels, @WisconsinDPI suddenly removed the once publicly available school spending data. We need more transparency, not less. pic.twitter.com/mTxtPGvbOQ
— WILL (@WILawLiberty) April 13, 2026
Why? Because parents don't know what's being spent on public and private education in the state, and the Leftists want to keep them in the dark.
🧵Wisconsin parents are being left in the dark about education costs. Our new poll with @FiftyCAN reveals 44% of parents are "not sure" what's spent per student, while another 43% significantly underestimate total funding. (1/5) pic.twitter.com/4G4fcpryci
— WILL (@WILawLiberty) April 6, 2026
They want to keep parents in the dark because, once parents know how much is spent, they agree that school spending is either "too much" or "just right." Fewer than 30 percent of parents say we spend too little on public education.
When informed of actual education costs, the majority of parents say school spending is "just right" or "too much." Only 27% say "too little." This shows a need for far more transparency regarding school spending. (2/5)
— WILL (@WILawLiberty) April 6, 2026
And most parents support school choice, education savings accounts, and open enrollment.
Our poll also shows parents broadly back reform and school choice options. Large majorities of parents support open enrollment (80%), education savings accounts (77%), and school vouchers (64%) for their children. (4/5) pic.twitter.com/V0TuMSlVuO
— WILL (@WILawLiberty) April 6, 2026
Some 55 percent of parents who have school choice options are "very satisfied" with their choices, compared to 43 percent of public school parents.
Parents with choice options also report higher satisfaction levels: 55% of parents using choice options are "very satisfied" with their choice, compared to 43% of public school parents. Wisconsin's choice programs continue to provide a proven, real-life benefit for families.… pic.twitter.com/cQQtbWMW5Z
— WILL (@WILawLiberty) April 6, 2026
WILL has moved to intervene on the lawsuit that seeks to destroy Wisconsin's school choice program, too.
🚨Last night, WILL moved to intervene in Wisconsin PTA v. Wisconsin State Assembly, a lawsuit challenging Wisconsin’s entire school funding system.
— Lauren Greuel (@GreuelLauren) April 14, 2026
We’re representing parents, taxpayers, and schools to keep school funding where it belongs, with the legislature, not the courts. https://t.co/cNQNDvOFgK
The News: The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) represents a group of Wisconsin taxpayers, parents, and choice schools in a motion to intervene in Wisconsin PTA v. Wisconsin State Assembly. The complaint in that case seeks to have the judiciary determine the level and distribution of funding for education in this State rather than leave those decisions to the Legislature and seeks to reduce or eliminate Wisconsin’s School Choice Programs.
The Wisconsin Constitution grants the Legislature the authority to determine education policy and to effectuate school funding and charges the Superintendent of Public Instruction with the task of supervising public instruction, not the judicial branch. Moreover, the Wisconsin Supreme Court affirmed the constitutionality of Wisconsin’s Choice Programs 30 years ago.
The Quote: WILL Deputy Counsel, Cory Brewer, stated, “Courts are not legislatures. They do not get to design or run state school finance systems. That is a policy decision for elected representatives. We’re proud to stand with parents, taxpayers, and schools who value the separation of powers and want a system that prioritizes student success and academic achievement. This lawsuit is a direct threat to that, and we are going to fight it.”
Potential Harm to Our Clients: The parents and taxpayers we represent believe that they will be harmed if the Plaintiffs’ demands are met because it would fundamentally alter our education system in ways that are harmful and likely result in an increase to state and local taxes without increasing educational performance. They also believe parents should have the freedom to choose where their children are educated, and that expanding those choices has increased access to a quality education for students across the state.
Parents in Wisconsin must keep this in mind, and it must be a central campaign talking point for every state Republican running for the Assembly and Senate. It must also be a central campaign message for Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is running to replace Tony Evers as governor. If Democrats regain control of the state, they will destroy school choice and public education while raising our taxes to pay for failing schools.
Parents and kids deserve better, and they deserve transparency.
Editor's Note: President Trump is fighting to dismantle the Department of Education and ensure America's kids get the education they deserve.
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