$35.3 million to public school libraries from Common School Fund

The Board of Commissioners of Public Lands announced March 27 that a record amount of library aid resulting from Common School Fund earnings will be forwarded to the Department of Public Instruction for its annual distribution to Wisconsin’s kindergarten through twelfth grade public school libraries. This year’s distribution will be more than $28 per student. Earnings from the Common School Fund total a record setting $35.3 million. These funds are derived from the interest earned on loans to school districts and municipalities for infrastructure and public purpose projects utilizing the State Trust Fund Loan Program. The Board of Commissioners of Public Lands administers both the Common School Fund and the State Trust Fund Loan Program. “Public school libraries benefit greatly from the Board’s prudent investment strategies,” said Secretary of State Doug La Follette, who serves as Chair of the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands. “For some school districts, the library aid provided by the Common School Fund may be the only money available for their library.”