The Common School Fund was established by Wisconsin's founders in Article 10 of the State Constitution as a permanent school trust fund. By investing in community projects throughout the state through the State Trust Fund Loan Program, the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands generates earnings for the Common School Fund that are distributed annually to public school libraries. These monies are the sole source of state funding for public school libraries. For many school districts this is the only money available to them for library materials including books, newspapers and periodicals, web-based resources, and computer hardware and software.

Open the Interactive Library Aid Distribution Map.

March 2026 - Members of the Board of Commissioners of Public lands and Agency staff present a large check to educators to represent the $73.5 million disbursement from the Common School Fund to public school libraries across the state.