CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. (WEAU) – $60 million for career and technical education programs is being proposed by Wisconsin State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly.

A field trip was made to Chippewa Falls High School on Friday to make the announcement, as it offers students programs that could benefit from funding.

“To move forward in Wisconsin, we must invest in our children and our public schools,” said Dr. Underly.

From the work the students demonstrated to the state superintendent: a small store in the school, a large screen used for advertising or games in the school gym, and agriculture and animal husbandry classes with the assistance of Future Farmers of America.

The ear of money marked in the biennial budget for education is something that Dr. Underly believes it will help students across the country succeed.

“Unfortunately, until now, the state has not provided categorical funding for vocational and technical education. By letting individual school districts fund these important programs through their general K-12 funding,” said Dr. Underly.

“These are expensive,” said Laura Bushendorf, coordinator of career and technical education programs at the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District.

“Career and technical education is an integral part of what we do to help prepare students for college and career readiness and post-secondary success,” Bushendorf said.

A student, now a post-high school business owner, who has benefited from a CTE program at Chi-Hi includes Natalie Schueller.

“They gave me the skills and just the basic animal skills and basic animal knowledge,” Schueller said.

Connecting with America’s future farmers is something Schueller said has helped her in the long run.

With her success running an equine business, she hopes to see more students take advantage of the programs available at the high school.

“I would like to involve as many people as I can. Because you can learn so much and go in so many directions,” Schueller said.

It’s also something State Inspector Underly agrees with. That’s why she’s looking to help fund programs like FFA.

“We will provide $750,000 to each of the six statewide career and technical student organizations annually beginning in FY26,” said Dr. Underly.

It will be up to the Republican-controlled state legislature to approve the budget.

Strong support for school funding is something Dr. Underly is confident, which she said is due to a high percentage of school referendums that backfire on Election Day.

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