Brenda White:
Currently, I serve on the board for School Choice Wisconsin. Three of our priorities for the next legislative session are really centered around, number one, making sure that we can advocate to maintain the 2023 funding compromise that was reached by Speaker Vos, Senator LeMahieu, and Governor Evers. Secondly, we are seeking to decouple the way parental choice is funded from property tax. And thirdly, a priority is to advocate for the continued educational autonomy that private schools have had and is very critical to our mission, so that we can have the educational independence to choose our own curriculum and instructional programs. Very key to why parents choose a private school is because we can determine what that curriculum instruction's going to look like.

Aditi Debnath:
Can you talk more about decoupling and how that would work?

Brenda White:
Sure. So, decoupling is just a way to separate out from the funding formula for public schools in Racine and the statewide program. A certain portion of that state aid to public school districts goes towards funding the choice program, in that the state aid to those public districts is reduced to cover the cost. So, in Racine that would mean a certain portion of the state funds to Racine Unified then goes towards funding the choice program. And then school districts, like Racine, often make up that gap in their funding through raising property taxes. So, if we can decouple that — like Milwaukee is fully decoupled — it would save property taxpayers in Racine $4.7 million. So, it's a win-win to both the district, who would increase their state aids, and it would be a win for property taxpayers, who would have that burden lessened.