School leaders speak out against budget

Several school district leaders from northeast Wisconsin are urging lawmakers to make changes to Governor Walker's proposed budget.

Appleton superintendent Lee Allinger says under the current plan, it's not feasible for districts to maintain existing staffing levels, and deliver high-quality programming.

The governor is proposing a $130 million increase in public school funding, and he would freeze the revenue cap.

Allinger also opposes the expansion of the school voucher program, even though Appleton wouldn't be affected. Allinger says private schools wouldn't have to live up to the same standards as public schools, in a number of areas.

Allinger spoke out against the budget, at McAuliffe elementary in Green Bay yesterday afternoon, along with state superintendent of schools Tony Evers, Green Bay superintendent Michelle Langenfeld, and Seymour superintendent Peter Ross.

Allinger says the governor's voucher plans are different from the original intent of the program -- to give low-income Milwaukee students another option. He says students who are already in private schools would be first in line to receive vouchers, and families with an income of up to $70,000 would be eligible.