Eau Claire Hosts Governor Tony Evers on State of the State Tour

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers visited North High School in Eau Claire on Wednesday as part of his final State of the State tour.

Governor Evers delivered his final State of the State address on Tuesday, outlining his goals for the last year of his term. Education has been a constant focus during Evers’ time as Governor as districts struggle to maintain their operations without turning to local taxpayers with ballot referendums.

“School districts going to referenda every other year for just general stuff, that’s not right,” he said. “And it’s not that they’re overspending, they’re responding to the needs of kids. And I think we need to do some things there too, especially in equalization aid.”

Governor Evers also noted how far school curriculum has come since his time as a teacher. “It’s so different,” he said. “Kids learn so much more than they did when I was a teacher. It’s just night and day. And I think we always have to keep that in mind when we talk about schools and funding schools and all that.”

A number of school districts in Eau Claire County have proposed operational referendums over recent years, many of which were approved by local taxpayers. The School District of Altoona also authorized a $15.6 million referendum proposal for the April election, though that referendum is meant to address repair and replacement needs rather than maintaining basic operations.

Governor Evers also highlighted efforts to improve overall affordability for working families during the visit, as well as the progress being made on negotiations over additional special education funding in the State Legislature.