School Libraries Will Receive Record Amount of Funding Next Year

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2022 -- 11:00 AM

(By Rich Kremer, Wisconsin Public Radio) Wisconsin's school libraries will receive a record $52 million next year from a funding source first created 174 years ago.

According to Rich Kremer with Wisconsin Public Radio, when Wisconsin became a state in 1848, the framers of the state Constitution established what is now known as the Common School Fund and required proceeds to be distributed to public schools.

The first investments in the fund came from sales of lands granted to the state by the federal government. Since then, the fund has distributed nearly $160 million to public schools.

On Thursday, outgoing Wisconsin State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski announced the largest annual distribution from the fund on record, with $52 million heading to school libraries next year.

"This is nearly a 30 percent increase from last year's distribution," Godlewski said. "And it's important to note that these monies are often the sole source of funding for public school libraries and our media centers, helping to buy books and technology."

Godlewski said since 2019, Wisconsin's Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, which oversees the fund, has diversified investments to include startup companies and real estate. Godlewski currently chairs the board, which also includes Wisconsin Secretary of State Doug La Follette and Attorney General Josh Kaul.

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