Wisconsin Education NewsApril 30, 2026A daily update of education news and events that are taking place around Wisconsin. State-Required Seclusion and Restraint Data to be Released on Thursday The DPI will release its annual seclusion and restraint report for the 2024-25 school year on Thursday, April 30. Under state law (2019 Wisconsin Act 118), all Wisconsin schools are required to annually report information on the use of seclusion and physical restraint to the DPI. This reporting reflects information submitted by districts as required by statute. The report will include the required statewide information submitted by schools, along with updated resources and supports available to districts. The DPI continues to offer tiered assistance to schools based on reported incidents, with outreach and support available to any school reporting one or more instances. More information on this leveled support system is available on the DPI’s website. The report and related resources will be available on the DPI’s website on Thursday, including access to school- and district-level information. AmeriCorps to end tutoring programs at MMSD MIDDLETON, Wis. - AmeriCorps, which offers tutoring, is dealing with a major reduction in federal funding. Now, some school district leaders are trying to work out how to afford such extracurricular programs. Madison families to join teachers at ‘A Day Without Immigrants’ protest About 70% of Madison Teachers Inc., the union representing teachers and staff, voted to join Voces de la Frontera and other community groups in Friday’s demonstration. Starting at noon on Library Mall, thousands are expected to gather and march to the Capitol to demand support for immigrant workers and families. The protest is a part of the national May Day Strong day of action. La Crosse city, school leaders pitch $30M+ indoor pool plan With La Crosse’s North Side Community Pool needing $1 million worth of repairs, the La Crosse School District and city leaders have been discussing building a new indoor community pool. They are now bringing those plans to the public, and Wednesday’s session at Black River Beach was the first of five scheduled community meetings. School board takes heat for staff cut decisions Cutting positions to eliminate $1.7 million in red ink from the 2026-27 Shawano School District budget continues to draw objections from people to the Shawano School Board. The board voted in February to cut positions to bring the district in alignment with its own student-to-staff ratios after learning that existing expenditures would leave it well in debt when the time comes in October to approve its final budget. Shawano School Board approves pay hikes for all employees The Shawano School Board approved more than $500,000 in raises for employees at every level April 27, but some bristled at the idea of approving them all in one stroke. All employees will be receiving a 2.63% cost-of-living increase. Support staff will also receive an additional 0.37% increase to round out the wage hike to 3%. Administrators will only see the cost-of-living increase. ‘I've cried so many times over this': Portage community mourns closure of two rural schools PORTAGE, Wis. (WMTV) - Two rural schools in the Portage Community School District are closing their doors at the end of the school year following a failed referendum and a school board vote earlier this week. Endeavor Elementary and Lewiston Elementary are the two schools in the district closing. Erin Bratz, whose family attended Endeavor Elementary School, said she is devastated by the closure. CFAUSD passes budget addressing $2.5M shortfall CHIPPEWA FALLS (WQOW) - The Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District has passed a preliminary budget for next school year addressing a $2.5 million budget gap. The deficit comes as the district faces budget challenges tied to declining enrollment. The budget passed by the school board this week cuts the hourly equivalent of about 12 full-time teacher positions, with eight of those from the elementary schools. PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. — The companies behind a new data center in Port Washington are donating $225,000 to help relaunch the local school district's educational foundation. Developer Vantage, along with Oracle and OpenAI, each contributed $75,000 to the Port Washington-Saukville School District. District superintendent Michael McMahon said the investment will have far-reaching impacts. Neillsville School Board Approves Insurance Renewals and Other Items at April Meeting The Neillsville School Board began their meeting by selecting board positions. Parents and student fight to preserve Poynette accelerated learner program In a remarkable show of support, Poynette students, parents, and teachers spoke up at Monday's board of education meeting to ask board members to reconsider using a teacher's retirement to reduce the district budget by one full-time position. There had already been a unique energy to the evening with all board members present for the policy and finance committee meeting the precedes the full board meeting in the high school library, taking their full scheduled hour for a "deep dive" into the preliminary budget with Director of Business Services Ryan Nehmer. MMSD begins accepting proposals for César Chávez Elementary name change MADISON, Wis. -- You can help the Madison Metropolitan School Board decide the new name for Cesar Chávez Elementary School. The board voted this week to rename the school after an exposé was published in the New York Times accusing the late labor leader of sexually abusing underage girls as well as his co-activist, Dolores Huerta. MMSD released a form Wednesday seeing public input on a new name for the school. Proposals from the public will be accepted for the next 30 days. Neighboring Schools Named Purple Star Schools Seventeen schools have been named Wisconsin’s first Purple Star Schools, recognizing their significant commitment to supporting military-connected students and families. State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly announced the designations today during a Month of the Military Child celebration in Tomah. One City Schools wants more public funds. It faces stiff opposition. When Kaleem Caire opened One City Early Learning preschool on Madison’s south side a decade ago, he was determined to expand to more grade levels and make the school a statewide model for innovation. In their first charter school application, Caire and other founders declared One City would offer a “new kind of public education” designed to improve learning outcomes for students who’ve historically struggled to succeed in other Wisconsin schools. Arrowhead School Board votes to make teacher cuts official The Arrowhead School Board approved the nonrenewal of three teacher contracts April 28, despite a show of support from Arrowhead parents and community members for those teachers. Board members voted, 8-0, not to renew contracts for science teacher Brian Corry, math teacher Mark Leoni and social studies teacher Tim Tower. The votes, on three separate motions, came after the board spent five hours in closed session having private conferences with each of the three teachers. Board member Chris Adsit was not at the meeting. Literacy coaches will join 54 Wisconsin schools this fall where reading scores are lowest Literacy coaches funded by the state will arrive next fall in Wisconsin schools where students are struggling to learn to read, fulfilling a key component of the 2023 Act 20 legislation that was stalled by political infighting. The Department of Public Instruction announced Wednesday literacy coaches will be placed in 50 public and four private schools over the next two years beginning next school year. The coaches will be paid for by the more than $9 million released by the Joint Committee on Finance in June, following a long legal battle. MPS, Alverno launch direct admissions process for juniors applying to college MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) and Alverno College announced a new initiative Wednesday, aimed at making the college application process a little easier for students. A new application is now available for MPS juniors interested in attending Alverno after they graduate.
|