Technology Funds Pass Over
Wisconsin Rural Districts
Critics say a state-funded method of helping Wisconsin schools and libraries acquire computers, Internet access, and staff training has neglected many rural districts badly in need of the aid.
The state legislature allocated $200 million for the Technology Education Achievement, or TEACH, program. School districts in the northern part of the state said they received funds for hardware earlier in the year and expected to get additional money for training. However, the Associated Press reported January 1 that none of the $6 million distributed in December went to that region.
Department of Administration Secretary Mark Bugher said that the legislature told the board administering the program to use a competitive-bidding process in awarding the grants. “With all due respect, it's hard to have it both ways,” Bugher said. “Either the grants are given on the basis of the quality of the application or by geography.”
State Sen. Robert Jauch called for a special appropriation for the districts that were passed over.
Posted January 18, 1999.
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