MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin State Superintendent Jill Underly called for increased public school funding and a revised state funding formula during her State of Education address at the Capitol on Thursday, Sept. 24. Underly said the formula should focus on the cost of educating students rather than district spending levels and property values. She argued that years of political decisions have left schools facing financial strain and having to ask local voters for additional money. “Democracy does not work without an educated public,” Underly said. She said 90% of Wisconsin school districts have gone to referendum at least once in the past nine years, seeking local support to fill funding gaps. Referendums can provide districts with additional revenue, but place the decision before local voters and communities. Underly, delivering her sixth annual address, said schools and educators should not be blamed for the pressures they face. She described those pressures as the result of policy choices made over decades. The Republican Party of Wisconsin and state Sen. John Jagler, the Republican chair of the Senate Education Committee, did not respond to a request for comment on the address.