Congressman Tiffany Visits School District of Crandon, Highlights Reauthorization of Secure Rural Schools

CRANDON, WI – Today, Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07) visited the School District of Crandon to meet with school administrators, teachers, and students to discuss the recent reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program. 

The visit followed the passage of S. 356, the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act, which passed the U.S. House in December with bipartisan support and was signed into law by President Donald Trump on December 18th. Congressman Tiffany was a cosponsor of this legislation, which provides critical funding to rural school districts and communities impacted by federal land ownership. 

Earlier this year, students from the School District of Crandon traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocate for the reauthorization of the SRS program. During today’s visit, Congressman Tiffany was pleased to share the good news in person that the program has been reauthorized. Congressman Tiffany met with District Administrator Jason Bertrand, Middle/High School Principal Josh Jaeger, and students to discuss how SRS funding will continue supporting local schools and strengthening rural communities. You can view pictures from the visit here.   

"This is what civic engagement looks like. Students from Crandon traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocate for legislation that affects their school and community, and their voices made a difference. Reauthorizing Secure Rural Schools ensures rural students and families aren’t left behind because of where they live, and I thank the leadership of the School District of Crandon for their engagement and commitment to getting this important legislation signed into law," said Congressman Tom Tiffany.

Background: 

First enacted in 2000, the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act was designed to stabilize funding for rural counties affected by declining timber revenues and the loss of long-standing federal revenue sharing dating back to 1908. The Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act provides critical funding for rural areas to keep schools open, roads maintained, and emergency services up and running. In many rural areas, large portions of land are managed by the U.S. Forest Service and are tax-exempt. The SRS program helps replace that lost funding, so counties aren’t forced to cut essential services. Wisconsin has more than 1.5 million acres of federal forest land, much of it in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, and 11 counties rely on this program. Without SRS reauthorization, counties would lose this funding and be left scrambling to keep schools open, roads maintained, and emergency services operating.   

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