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Whitewater Times

Wednesday, September 10, 2025

Rep. Vos authors Wisconsin Assembly bill mandating school spending on classrooms

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Robin J. Vos, Wisconsin State Representative of 33rd District | Facebook

Robin J. Vos, Wisconsin State Representative of 33rd District | Facebook

A new bill authored by State Rep. Robin Vos in the Wisconsin Assembly seeks to ensure school boards prioritize classroom spending to improve educational resources and staffing, according to the Wisconsin State Assembly.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "requiring a school board to spend at least 70 percent of its operating expenditures on direct classroom expenditures and annual pay increases for school administrators. (FE)".

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill mandates that school boards allocate at least 70% of their operating expenditures to direct classroom expenses, including teacher and aide salaries, instructional supplies, tuition, and extracurricular activities. If a school board fails to meet this 70% requirement, it must increase its classroom spending by a minimum of 2% each subsequent year until compliance is achieved. In instances of non-compliance, state aid to the school district will be reduced by the shortfall amount, with prohibitions on raising property taxes to cover these reductions. If reductions are insufficient to recover excess expenditures, the Department of Public Instruction will order a corresponding reduction in taxpayer obligations, possibly issuing refunds with interest. Additionally, the bill limits annual pay increases for school administrators to match the average percentage increase granted to teachers. These stipulations become effective on July 1, 2026, with the compensation increase limitation applying to contracts engaged or altered thereafter.

The bill was co-authored by Senator Cory Tomczyk (Republican-29th District), Representative Scott Allen (Republican-82nd District), Representative Elijah R. Behnke (Republican-6th District), Representative Nate L. Gustafson (Republican-55th District), and Representative Jerry L. O'Connor (Republican-60th District).

Robin Vos has co-authored another two bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.

Vos graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with a BA.

Vos, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2025 to represent the state's 33rd Assembly district, replacing previous state representative Scott Johnson.

In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.

Bills Introduced by Robin Vos in Wisconsin Assembly During 2025 Regular Session

Bill NumberDate IntroducedShort Description
AB602/04/2025Requiring a school board to spend at least 70 percent of its operating expenditures on direct classroom expenditures and annual pay increases for school administrators. (FE)

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