JANESVILLE — Recent presidential executive orders and proposed cuts by the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Agriculture could cost the School District of Janesville more than $10 million.
The federal programs traditionally have helped fund school district programs for students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students and families, youth mental health programs, English language learners, smaller class sizes and help fund important initiatives like access to school meals, career and technical education, academic opportunities, and more.
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has launched a new interactive map showing how federal funding affects each school district across the state. VIEW THE WEBSITE.
According to the DPI, the School District of Janesville could lose $6,105,860 in U.S. Department of Education funding and $4,651,407 in U.S. Department of Agriculture funding in 2023-24 to cover meals for hungry kids.
The total could be as high as $10,757,267, or 9 percent of total funding.
All told, the funding the district receives from the USDE is equivalent to the cost of
hiring 68 teachers.
Large cuts could also come to library services in southern Wisconsin.
There are 25 public libraries within the Prairie Lakes Library System, including Janesville and Beloit.
In 2025, this library system is expected to receive $1,650,047 in state aid with $71,882 of that coming from federal funding through the Library Services and Technology Act [link].
Federal funding is 4% of Prairie Lakes Library System’s 2025 allocation.
