The Trump administration is late releasing school aid payments for 20 Wisconsin school districts, and Gov. Tony Evers has sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon demanding the agency release the federal Impact Aid payments immediately.
The payments for 20 school districts across Wisconsin serve over 21,000 students. Schools should have received the first round of payments in October for federal school funding. The Impact Aid is used by schools for basic operations such as payroll and transportation.
“I was shocked to hear from several eligible school districts in Wisconsin that October Impact Aid payments have yet to be issued. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Education has provided no guidance or timeline for when school districts can expect to receive these payments,” Gov. Evers wrote to McMahon.
Federal Impact Aid is a flexible source of funding allotted to eligible schools, used for hiring teachers, purchasing instructional materials and more. Numerous eligible schools are in rural Wisconsin, making the aid even more important as they face transportation challenges.
In fiscal year 2025, 20 school districts received the aid, totalling over $23 million. Most but not all eligible schools are operated by federally recognized Tribal Nations located in Wisconsin.
“This funding is critically important to many school districts in Wisconsin that receive reduced or no property tax revenues due to being located on federal lands. Refusal to fulfill your legal and statutory obligations by providing these payments to schools that support core operations is unacceptable and requires your urgent attention,” Gov. Evers said in the letter.
“Please take immediate action. Wisconsin kids rely on the resources provided by our schools and funded by this program.”
