WEMTA's response is printed in full below:
State treasurer supports public school library funding -- Annette Smith
Regarding Tuesday's editorial, "Get rid of do-nothing state job," the state treasurer plays an important role in public school library funding as a member of the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands.
The board supports public schools by maintaining the Common School Fund, the only dedicated source of public school library funding -- not public library funding, as stated in the editorial. The fund is so well managed it provides over $30 million to state school libraries each year.
Replacing the state treasurer with the lieutenant governor would jeopardize our founders' commitment to a constitutionally protected form of school library funding. Commissioners do not play a leading role in K-12 school funding or the state budget process, which makes them ideal custodians of the Common School Fund and helps protect its integrity.
The vast majority of school libraries rely on Common School Fund distributions as their sole funding source. Strong public school libraries are essential to the academic success of Wisconsin’s children.
For this reason, the board should continue to be represented by the secretary of state, state treasurer and attorney general, as established by our founders.
-- Annette Smith, Milton, member, Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association
