Wisconsin School Funding Task Force Created

Republican leaders of the Wisconsin Legislature have created a bipartisan task force to study school funding in the state.

The panel announced Tuesday will hold its first meeting later this month with hearings across the state planned before issuing a report to the Legislature by the end of next year.

Lawmakers say it’s the first review of the funding formula in 20 years.

The panel will be co-chaired by Sen. Luther Olsen, of Ripon, and Rep. Joel Kitchens, of Sturgeon Bay, both Republicans. There are four other Republicans and three Democrats on the panel.

Other members include superintendents of the Green Bay and Grantsburg school districts, the lobbyist for the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, a University of Wisconsin-Madison education policy professor and the business operations director for Messmer Catholic Schools.