Letter to the editor: Defunding public schools

By LEE D. VAN LANDUYT | Hillsboro

The well-being and education of every child should be our top priority. Children are our legacy! Older generations retire as youth takes their rightful place in society. They are becoming our leaders and caregivers. 

Our entrenched conservative state legislature has steadily defunded PUBLIC education. In response, Progressive State Sen. Chris Larson wrote the following: “As ranking member of the Senate Education and Universities Committees, I’ve consistently pushed back against attempts to undermine our public schools and shift an ever-increasing amount of resources toward unaccountable private schools. What you may not know is that we spend about $200 million each year to fund private education in our state that comes directly from state aid intended for neighborhood public schools.” 

“Voters across the state have approved hundreds of referendums to boost public school funding in recent years, because they know how important education is to strong communities. The voucher programs that take this ever-increasing share of money out of our PUBLIC SCHOOLS operate outside of public view with little regulation, no community input, and almost zero transparency…” 

Our Constitution demands SEPARATION of church and state. Is this syphoning off of public money to unaccountable private schools appropriate? Definitely NOT!

Comments are closed.

  • Letter to the editor: Empowering rural America

    May 17th, 2023
    by

    Much like the 1930s, when rural people had to create their own path forward to have electricity, we are facing another challenge: the transition to clean energy.


    Your Right to Know: Bill to fix records problem deserves support

    May 16th, 2023
    by

    A unanimous voice vote by the Wisconsin Senate on a piece of legislation is a rare occurrence. But that’s what happened on April 19, when state senators approved a bill to undo a decision by the Wisconsin Supreme Court regarding public records.


    Letter to the editor: What is abortion?

    April 20th, 2023
    by

    Ever since the SCOTUS decision to end Roe, discussions of how this affects everyone have been rampant.


    Letter to the editor: Kelly’s win in Monroe County should have been headline

    April 20th, 2023
    by

    I’m disappointed. Nowhere did I see a headline, “Dan Kelly wins Monroe County by large margin.” Which is exactly what happened: Kelly 6,369, Protasiewicz 4,970. If the opposite had happened, I think it would have been big news. Monroe County voters showed they DO value all life from conception to death. 


    Letter to the editor: More people need to actively advocate for peace

    April 20th, 2023
    by

    I’ve had the belief for a long time that there are more people willing to pick up a hoe than a gun. In other words, there are more people wanting to live in peace and harmony rather than in violent discord. 


  • Your Right to Know: End Wisconsin’s secretive ‘pocket veto’

    April 20th, 2023
    by

    Recently, Wisconsin Watch revealed how members of the Wisconsin Legislature’s powerful budget committee secretly hold up projects or programs they don’t like.


    Letter to the editor: Vote yes for N-O-W referendum

    March 30th, 2023
    by

    NOW. What a coincidence our school district’s acronym is NOW, for truly NOW is the time to secure our future not only for our students, but also for rural communities and villages alike. 


    Letter to the editor: Palmer Fisher is best choice for judge

    March 30th, 2023
    by

    Angela Palmer Fisher is running for Vernon County Judge in the upcoming April 4 election.


    Letter to the editor Protasiewicz not an ‘extreme partisan’

    March 30th, 2023
    by

    The April 4 election between Janet Protasiewicz (Pro-tas-see-witz) and Dan Kelly for a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat will determine the future of the Court, and Wisconsin itself, for at least 10 years (the term length for a justice).


    Letter to the editor: Gaskell has great judgment, common sense

    March 30th, 2023
    by

    In the 21 years I spent on the bench as a Circuit Court Judge in La Crosse County, I had the pleasure of having Attorney Tim Gaskell appear before me many times.


    Letter to the editor: Support Dan Kelly

    March 30th, 2023
    by

    I write this to encourage voters to support Dan Kelly in the state Supreme Court election on April 4.


  • [Advertisement.]
  • Archives