MADISON — State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly today announced the first part of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s 2027-29 Biennial Budget request, seeking $28 million in new state funding for critical education services and agency operations, including strengthening specialized support for children who are deafblind, public libraries, cybersecurity, technology modernization, and the investigation of alleged educator misconduct.
The second and final part of the DPI’s budget request, to be submitted to the Wisconsin Department of Administration in November, will include new investments in categorical aid programs and other critical supports for Wisconsin’s public schools.
“Wisconsin has a proud tradition of excellence in public education, but that depends on ensuring schools and libraries have the resources they need to serve their students and communities,” Dr. Underly said. “This first portion of our budget request addresses critical needs at the Department of Public Instruction while making investments in Deafblind Outreach, public libraries, and other essential programs.
“Investing in our kids and the educators who serve them is an investment in the future of our entire state.”
Last September, the U.S. Department of Education terminated grant funding for the Wisconsin Deafblind Technical Assistance Project and denied a DPI appeal. While the DPI subsequently secured a subgrant to continue WDBTAP services to deafblind children and young adults across Wisconsin, the loss of federal funding highlighted the need for sustained state support. As part of the first phase of its biennial budget request, Dr. Underly is seeking $500,000 over the biennium to strengthen the DPI’s capacity to provide specialized outreach, consultation, training, family support, and technical assistance to children who are deafblind and their families statewide.
The budget request also includes $7.5 million over the biennium for Wisconsin’s public library systems. The additional funding would provide state aid at or above 8 percent of prior-year expenditures for public libraries while maintaining current service levels for library service contracts, BadgerLink, and the Newsline for the Blind.
Additional provisions included in the first part of the DPI’s budget request include:
- Two additional positions dedicated to educator license investigations ($350,200 over the biennium)
- Modernization of major DPI information technology systems that support core agency functions and improve agency support to districts and schools ($12.5 million over the biennium)
- Cybersecurity investments to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate the impact of incidents potentially affecting Wisconsin K-12 schools and public libraries ($6.7 million over the biennium)
- Support for partner organizations, including Special Olympics of Wisconsin and Arts for All ($200,000 and $100,000 over the biennium, respectively)
Additional information and the first part of the DPI’s biennial budget request can be found on the DPI’s website.
