Wisconsin governor vetoes plan to mix college system campus, technical school
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Dive Transient:
- Wisconsin’s Democratic governor has vetoed a plan that may have mixed a College of Wisconsin campus with a close-by public technical school.
- As a part of a June state funds proposal, Republican lawmakers sought to consolidate the campuses of College of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Washington County and Moraine Park Technical School.
- On Wednesday, nevertheless, Gov. Tony Evers shot down the concept, saying it overstepped the legislature’s authority and unfairly singled out the 2 faculties.
Dive Perception:
The state’s Joint Committee on Finance proposed giving $3.4 million to the College of Wisconsin system to help with the consolidation. The plan would have required the system to lift matching funds from personal donors and Washington County.
Past these funds, the proposal didn’t go into in depth element. However state Sen. Duey Stroebel, vice-chair of the Joint Finance Committee, mentioned on the time that the consolidation would shut the UWM-Washington County campus.
Evers, in his veto message, mentioned the proposal would have made the Washington County campus a joint operation of the Moraine Park Technical School district board and county leaders, as an alternative of a part of the College of Wisconsin.
“I object to the Legislature singling out solely certainly one of our state’s department campuses when many campuses are dealing with challenges, partially as a result of Legislature’s repeated failure to offer an satisfactory stage of funding for the College of Wisconsin System,” Evers mentioned.
The governor additionally criticized the proposal as moving into the purview of the College of Wisconsin Board of Regents and the Wisconsin Technical School System Board, in addition to the College of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Moraine Park Technical School.
Each campuses have confronted enrollment declines in recent times, however neither had requested intervention from the Wisconsin legislature.
“These entities might collaborate in the event that they so select, however they won’t be handled otherwise than different counties or campuses,” Evers mentioned.
Olivia Hwang, vice chancellor for advertising and marketing and communications at UWM, praised Evers for leaving such choices to larger schooling leaders.
“These conversations should embody the viewpoints of workers and college students of UWM at Washington County, who’ve been excluded from the county’s deliberations and choices,” Hwang mentioned in an announcement. “UWM was not invited to be an official member of the duty drive, and whereas we monitored its progress, we had no affect over its remaining suggestions to the Washington County Board.”
However state Sen. Stroebel expressed disappointment over Evers’ determination.
“Sadly, this method solely continues to exacerbate antiquated inefficiencies and waste within the supply of schooling in Wisconsin,” he mentioned in an e mail Thursday.
Even with the governor’s veto, Stroebel harassed that faculties throughout the state, together with UMW-Washington County, nonetheless want to deal with declining enrollment. He highlighted potential consolidation efforts as one path ahead.
“Taxpayers shouldn’t foot the invoice for failing campuses to remain afloat,” Stroebel mentioned.
UWM’s Washington County campus will stay open for the foreseeable future, based on Hwang.
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