Students with disabilities in your district could get more help from the state as budget conversations continue ahead of the July 1st deadline. Rep. Joel Kitchens provided an update on state budget conversations as Legislative Republicans and the Evers Administration continue to look for compromises in the spending plan. The Joint Finance Committee set aside $290 million for special education funding, amounting to the state picking up about 90 percent of the costs. According to Kitchens, it was less than what he was pushing for, but about $36 million more than Evers suggested. According to the Education Law Center in 2022, high-poverty districts were forced to divert $1,818 per pupil from their general funding due to what they call the underfunding of special education, compared to the $1,266 in the lowest-poverty districts. Kitchens told the Door County Daily News earlier this month that special education was a hot topic during his May 30th listening sessions. The JFC also authorized about $1.3 billion in tax relief, including eliminating taxes on the first $24,000 for single residents 67 and older and $48,000 for joint filers 67 and older. Kitchens had been advocating for making retirement tax-free. Evers expressed pessimism last week that they would be able to reach a deal ahead of the July 1st deadline, but also said that he is sure they will be able to reach an agreement.