OVERTURNED.

>> JOSH KAUL, THANKS VERY MUCH.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> IN LIEU OF INVITATION TO SPEAK TO BUDGET WRITERS OF THE JOINT FINANCE COMMENCEMENT, STATE PUBLIC INSTRUCTION JILL UNDERLY PRESENTED HER EDUCATION BUDGET PRIORITIES TO A PANEL OF STUDENTS AT MOUNT HOREB HIGH SCHOOL WHO THEN PRESENTED HER WITH QUESTIONS FROM THE STUDENT PERSPECTIVE.

>> ON THE TOPIC OF MENTAL HEALTH, I CAN SAY FROM OUR SCHOOL THAT THERE'S VERY FEW RESOURCES AVAILABLE.

ESSENTIALLY WHAT IT CONSISTS OF HERE IS CALL THIS PHONE NUMBER IF YOU'RE HAVING SUICIDAL THOUGHTS OR TALK TO ONE OF TWO PEOPLE IN THE OFFICE.

AND ACTUALLY, IN FACT, ONE OF THE PEOPLE ON THIS -- SITTING HERE WITH ME WAS TELLING ME A LITTLE STORY ABOUT HOW WE WERE HAVING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AND THEY WENT TO ONE OF THE COUNSELORS AND THEY WERE TOLD TO COME BACK WHEN THEY HAD AN APPOINTMENT.

SO PRETTY DISFUNCTIONAL, AND SO I'M VERY CURIOUS TO SEE HOW THIS $235 MILLION, I GUESS, MENTAL HEALTH GRANT IS GOING TO HELP TO BUILD THOSE SERVICES.

>> WE'RE NOT ONLY SHORT STAFFED IN MENTAL HEALTH, IT'S JUST PROBLEMS ARE ALSO MORE DIFFICULT, AND TAKE MORE TIME AND SO THE BUDGET ASK IS REQUESTING A BASE AMOUNT FOR EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT OF $100,000, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL $100 PER STUDENT.

SO YOU'D HAVE $200,000 TO HIRE ADDITIONAL STAFF, POSSIBLY BRING IN CONTRACTORS IN MENTAL HEALTH.

I KNOW THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THEM PARTICULARLY IN THIS AREA.

>> DURING THE SUMMER, I WORK WITH THE SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAMS HERE AT MOUNT HOREB AND I HELP STUDENTS IN MATH AND READINGS AND OTHER SUBJECTS THAT ARE STRUGGLING AND I WOULD SAY THERE'S A GOOD PORTION OF STUDENTS THAT ARE SPECIAL EDUCATION IN THOSE CLASSES THAT NEED THE HELP DURING THE SUMMER AND THERE'S MAYBE ONE PROFESSIONAL PER TWO TO THREE STUDENTS SO I'VE HELPED OUT A LOT OF THESE STUDENTS TRYING TO HELP THEM LEARN DURING THE SUMMER, BUT I'M NOT A TRAINED PROFESSION AND THESE STUDENTS NEED MORE ACCESS AND SUPPORT IN ORDER TO UNLOCK THEIR POTENTIAL, SO HOW DO YOU ALLOCATE THE BUDGET SO THAT SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS ARE PRIORITIZED AND PARRA PROFESSIONAL PATHWAYS ARE MADE EASIER?

>> SO RIGHT NOW, WISCONSIN REIMBURSES, AS A SHARED EARLIER, ON SPECIAL EDUCATION COSTS, 30%, ROUGHLY.

THE BUDGET THAT WE'RE PROPOSING AT THE DEPARTMENT WOULD INCREASE THAT AMOUNT TO 45 FERRIES AND THEN -- 45% AND THEN 60%.

YOUR SCHOOL WOULD BE CLOSER TO $2 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL REIMBURSEMENT SO THAT HAPPEN FUNDING COULD GO TOWARDS HIRING ADDITIONAL STAFF, IT COULD GO TOWARDS TRAINING, IT COULD GO TOWARDS RAISING SALARIES.

NOT JUST IN SPECIAL EDUCATION, BUT IN ALL PROGRAMS, BECAUSE, AS I SAID, THAT FUNDING IS BEING TRANSFERRED FROM OTHER PROGRAMS IN ORDER TO MEET THAT.

SO, REALLY, WHAT YOU'VE