Board of Commissioners of Public Lands Home

Agency History

The Board of Commissioners of Public Lands

PDF icon indicating link will open a PDF file in a new tab

(BCPL), Wisconsin’s oldest state agency, is comprised of Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, State Treasurer John Leiber, and Attorney General Josh Kaul. Our founding fathers created the board in the 1848 Wisconsin Constitution for the important job of safeguarding one of Wisconsin’s most valuable assets (the federal land grants and resulting land sale proceeds). We proudly carry on the pioneering commitment of our state’s early leaders to a constitutionally protected form of public education financing that originated with millions of acres of land granted by the federal government.

Nearly all of the School Trust Lands were sold over 100 years ago. The proceeds were used to establish four School Trust Funds. The Common School Fund continues to grow with revenue from unclaimed property, clear proceeds of civil and criminal fees, fines and forfeitures. The Normal School Fund continues to grow through revenue from timber production on School Trust Lands.

What We Do

BCPL holds in trust the remaining School Trust Lands and the funds that resulted from the sale of those lands dating back to Wisconsin’s early history. We manage these Funds and the remaining land for the benefit of public school libraries, the University of Wisconsin, and the state’s citizens. For more details see the Common School Fund Brochure

or the Normal School Fund Brochure

.

We also maintain a rich archive of historical records related to the agency’s past and present land holdings.

With only 9.5 full-time employees we manage over $1.6 billion in Trust Fund assets and 75,000 acres of School Trust Lands.

Beneficiaries

Cartoon of a generic human figure climbing a staircase built of books

Wisconsin’s K-12 (“common”) schools are our largest direct beneficiary. Each spring, net earnings of the Common School Fund are distributed on a per-pupil basis to school libraries. These funds are used to purchase books and other media materials and often represent most, if not all, of the library budget in local school districts. This fund’s principal is invested—among other ways—in loans to school districts and municipalities to support public purpose projects including school repairs and improvements; local infrastructure projects like roads, town halls, airports, sewer systems and wastewater facilities, trucks, and emergency vehicles; and local economic development and downtown revitalization projects.

How You Benefit

A two leaf plant growing on the top of a stack of gold coins emerging from the soil

This small state agency is an integral part of Wisconsin’s history and economy. Our financial investments, land management practices, and document archive benefit every citizen of the state.

We are proud to make such a significant contribution to the state’s educational system and infrastructure.

But generating revenue is only the beginning of Trust stewardship. All Wisconsin citizens benefit from the agency’s responsible stewardship of School Trust Lands and investments, which promote education, economic development, and the environment.

We generate investment income for distribution as public school library aid.
We loan money to municipalities and school districts for public purpose projects.
We contribute to Wisconsin’s sustainable timber economy, combat forest fragmentation, and secure public access to large blocks of northern forests.
We manage an extensive archive consulted by land owners, surveyors, researchers, and others interested in this rich source of historical information about the state’s land and early settlers.