Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker proposed a two-year budget Monday that aims to improve K-12 education with funding for broadband, digital teaching aids, mobile hotspots for students and funding for high school fabrication labs.
The infusion of capital comes from a recommendation for $649 million in added funds for education. Within Walker’s proposal, broadband takes a significant share of the technology funding with $22.5 million dedicated to the Technology for Educational Achievement grant program (TEACH) that can be used to reimburse school districts for fiber installation and mobile hotspots. Another $3 million is slated to train teachers how to use digital technology in the classroom and an extra $13 million would be channeled into Wisconsin’s Broadband Expansion Grant Program exclusively funds high-speed internet in rural communities.
