Eau Claire Area School District to Discuss Lawsuit with Residents

The Eau Claire Area School District is inviting residents to a public information session on a lawsuit filed against the State Legislature.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a coalition of community members from multiple school districts, accusing the Wisconsin State Legislature of failing to provide equal educational opportunities. Public school districts have routinely been forced to turn to property taxpayers with operational referendums over recent years amid declining enrollment and constant budget issues.

Districts that don’t get their referendum proposals approved by voters often face significant staffing and programming cuts or even the closure and consolidation of their schools. Even districts that do get their referendum proposals approved find themselves with projected budget deficits when that funding expires.

The Eau Claire Area School District and Chippewa Falls School District fall into the latter category this year. Both recently approved staffing cuts amid a projected budget deficit as previously approved referendum funding is set to expire.

The lawsuit filed by Law Forward contains over a dozen plaintiffs, including students, teachers, and community members from across the state as well as the Wisconsin Parent Teacher Association. It argues that the Wisconsin State Legislature has failed to keep school funding in line with inflation and overall rising costs. It also specifically notes that the decline in funding disproportionately affects students from low-income families and special education students.

The public information session on the lawsuit is scheduled to take place on Tuesday at 4:00 pm in the South Middle School Auditorium. Representatives from the Law Forward legal team will be available to explain the lawsuit and answer questions from community members..