Eau Claire City Council Passes School Funding Resolution

The Eau Claire City Council is looking to increase transparency about how property taxes are being used to fund area schools.

At its meeting last week, the Eau Claire City Council passed a resolution to show residents how much of their property taxes are going to which schools. The goal is to show those residents how much of that funding is being used for private school vouchers, special education, and independent charter schools.

School funding has been a significant issue in Wisconsin over the last few years, especially as districts started to lose relief funding that was available during the Covid-19 pandemic. Combined with inflation and declining enrollment, districts across the state have been forced to propose ballot referendums and ask local residents to pay more in property taxes to maintain their operations.

Districts that have failed to get those referendums approved by voters often face staff layoffs and cuts to the programs they offer to balance their budgets. Some districts have even consolidated and closed schools entirely, a plan that the Eau Claire Area School District considered just a few months ago before deciding against it.

Private school vouchers are a commonly cited factor contributing to declining enrollment in public schools. The resolution passed by the Eau Claire City Council makes no changes to how much funding is being allocated to those private school vouchers. Instead, it will show a breakdown of where residents’ money is going each year on their property tax bill. City Council officials also say that information will soon be available on the Eau Claire Area School District website.