The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has released an interactive map tool on how federal funding cuts impact local schools.
Available at the DPI website at https://dpi.wi.gov, the tool allows residents to see the impact that federal funding cuts have on the local level, with $841 million in jeopardy statewide.
For Stanley-Boyd, federal funding provides eight percent of the total budget, or $1,052,038. Per the State DPI website, cuts to federal school funding stand to jeopardize $598,493 in U.S. Department of Education funding to Stanley-Boyd for the current fiscal year, along with $453,545 in U.S. Department of Agriculture funding in 2023-24 to cover meals for hungry kids. The funding Stanley-Boyd receives from federal sources includes the equivalent of six educator jobs, a figure shared by Thorp.
Potentially affected by cuts in federal government support to Stanley-Boyd are mental health supports, career and technical education, science, math, technology education, as well as more educator professional learning and smaller class sizes.
Stanley-Boyd District Superintendent Jeff Koenig shared more on how the state and federal budgets affect Stanley-Boyd and the district’s response.
“This year’s budget planning is a bit more difficult because there are still many unknowns at both the state and federal levels,” he said. “While we don’t yet know what changes might come, we are staying hopeful and working to be ready for whatever may happen.
Schools have limited options when there is a change in how we are funded. If federal funding is reduced, we will do our best to advocate for more support from the state, look for strategic ways to adjust our budget, and work closely with the community to find the best path forward.
Our main goal is to keep any changes from affecting our students, families, community, and staff as much as possible. The most likely area people would see a change is food service. A loss in food service funding could mean that meal prices may go up. We would do everything possible to limit any impacts on student instruction but some small changes may be necessary.
We will make careful decisions and continue to focus on providing the high-quality education our families expect and deserve.”