The Manitowoc Public School District may be at risk of losing some federal funding.
Superintendent Lee Thennes stated on the WCUB Breakfast Club that Wisconsin could be losing approximately $72 million in Title funds distributed across all school districts.
The money is used to fund programs that help students.
“Professional Development, supporting our English language students, who, English isn’t their primary language,” he explained. “We also have Title IV, which is basically supporting family engagement, that’s on the chopping block.”
The MPSD superintendent is also concerned because some programs for which Title funding is allocated are required by law.
“Now we’re going to be asked to continue to follow the law but not have the funding to essentially carry out that mandate,” he stated. “So, essentially in my view, they’re unfunded mandates.”
That can make it hard on the district.
“I always call it passing the buck,” Thennes noted. “Whether it’s the federal or the state government, they sort of pass this taxation thing down to the local people and on their home property taxes.”
Thennes noted that a portion of the $72 million could also be allocated toward what is called a block grant for each state, but that means Wisconsin’s Joint Finance Committee would disperse the money as it sees fit.
There’s no guarantee that Manitowoc Public Schools will receive any.
Within the state budget, there is additional funding for special education reimbursement.
Thennes says the district is preparing to address these issues as it creates the 2026 district budget, which is expected to be approved in October.
