Wisconsin Education NewsMarch 25, 2026A daily update of education news and events that are taking place around Wisconsin. SLATE 2026 Presentation Proposals Now Accepted RACINE, WI – Sonnenberg Schools has purchased the Jefferonson Lighthouse Elementary building for $975,000 after the Racine Unified School Board of Education (RUSD) unanimously approved the purchase at the March 23 board meeting. The closing date is May 29, Chief Operating Officer Peter Reynolds said. Opened in 1900, the school was originally named Jefferson School at 1722 W. 6th St., after the nation’s third president, Thomas Jefferson. The “Lighthouse” was added in the 1970s. 'It would be really a shame': Lake Country School at risk of shutting down if referendum fails HARTLAND, Wis. — Wisconsin’s Spring Election is April 7. Roughly 75 school districts across the state of Wisconsin will have referendums on the ballot asking taxpayers to either help pay for building projects or shrink budget deficits. The Lake Country School District in Hartland is one of them. It’s only made up of one school serving nearly 350 kids in kindergarten through eighth grade. The district is asking for $800,000 from residents over the next four years. If they vote yes, property taxes will go up by 13 cents for every $1,000 your house is worth. That means the owner of a $500,000 home would pay $65 more per year for four years. Appleton schools hold final listening session before April 7 referendum APPLETON, Wis. (WBAY) - The Appleton Area School District is asking voters to support a referendum on April. Wednesday is the final listening session to learn more about the referendum and ask questions to school leaders. The session is at 6:30 p.m. at the Appleton Area School District welcome center, 2701 N. Oneida St., Suite C3. This is an operational referendum for $15 million per year over the next four years. How one Madison school became an outdoor education hotspot Outside of Lake View Elementary School, students have a lot more than a traditional playground to explore. A series of ropes tied together make a “spider web” that students can lie down on; a “music garden” with a variety of noise-making tools allows students to create their own rhythms and beats; a jumble of tree stumps and logs create a “ninja course” for students to hop across; and a “construction zone” once filled with sticks and branches for students to play with is now a towering tree fort. Watch: Concerned parent sounds alarm as state loan falls through in Hustisford budget crisis HUSTISFORD, Wis.— A Tuesday school board meeting brought in staff members and parents who are anxious for updates on the future of the Hustisford School District. The district faces a $1.6 million deficit, and the community will vote on an operational referendum in April. The referendum would allow the district to function for two years while deciding whether to dissolve, consolidate, or keep its two schools with about 240 K-12 students. KUSD School Board approves controlled entrance safety project for several schools KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The push for safety improvements in Kenosha schools continues. The project proposing the addition of controlled entrances for the seven schools in the Kenosha Unified School District that currently don't have them, passed unanimously Tuesday night. Whitefish Bay voters face decision on $135 million school referendum WHITEFISH BAY, Wis. — Whitefish Bay voters are heading to the polls to decide on a $135.6 million school referendum, marking the first such vote in 17 years and sparking division over its substantial tax impact. In front yards across the town, signs reflect the community's split opinions. Some residents support the referendum, citing the importance of investing in local schools. West Bend East and West High Schools combining into one WEST BEND, Wis. — After more than five decades, West Bend East and West Bend West High Schools will combine to be one high school. East and West high schools have been sharing the same campus since 1970. The new school will be named West Bend High School. The change will take effect in the 2027-2028 school year, the West Bend School District said. The school board voted Monday to approve the consolidation. Waunakee school board OKs $1 million maintenance budget, $2.7 million in high school improvements Various summer capital maintenance projects in the Waunakee Community School District were approved by the school board at its meeting on March 9, including more than $2.7 million of work at the high school. Along with agreeing to establishing a budget of $1 million in capital maintenance work for 2026-27, approval was given only to specific projects that will cost $25,000 or above. Separately, the board approved bids for summer projects at the high school, scheduled to begin in June and expected to be finished in August. Jay Thomsen, vice president of the district’s construction partner, Vogel Bros., laid out the timing of the work to be done between the existing middle school and high school. Neenah board wants private school voucher costs disclosed on tax bills Reader question: There's been a push to disclose, on the tax bills, the amount of money levied by the Neenah Joint School District for private school vouchers. Green Bay has done something like this. Where does the responsibility lie to have this line added? With the school board? With the city? Answer: The Neenah Board of Education advanced this effort at its meeting on March 3, when it unanimously approved a "Resolution in Support of Full Transparency for Taxpayers." Brillion School District Asking Voters To Support Operational Referendum The Brillion School District is asking residents to approve a referendum question during the April 7th Election. The district is asking residents to allow it to exceed the state revenue limit by $2,275,000 beginning in the 2026-2027 school year and ending in 2028-2029. On its website, the Brillion School District says state revenue limits and inflation, along with increasing student needs and rising costs, are driving its need to exceed those limits. How protein balls and sugar scrubs teach mental health in Kaukauna Fewer high school students feel "welcome, accepted, respected, and valued" at school than they did a decade ago, according to Wisconsin's Office of Children's Mental Health's 2025 report. But at Kaukauna High School, some students are bucking that trend, one protein ball at a time. At KHS every Tuesday morning during flex time, a group of about 15 to 20 students have gathered since the beginning of the school year to make simple crafts and learn mental health care tips. On March 10, the students sat around a table in health teacher Matt Dale's classroom and rolled protein balls in aluminum pie tins. Other weeks, they've made sugar scrubs, slime and friendship bracelets. A sweet learning experience for Summit students A sweet treat for students at Summit Environmental School in La Crosse today. They got to sample the fruits of their efforts of the past few weeks. All the grades, K through 5th, learned about the history and tradition of tapping maple trees, collecting sap, then turning it into maple syrup. Farnsworth Middle School students participate in first All-School Service Day Farnsworth Middle School students, staff and family members participated in their first annual all-school Service Day on Thursday, March 19, dedicating an afternoon to giving back to the local community. Each grade level had ten options to choose from. There were projects for the school, the community and international projects. Osseo-Fairchild Spanish Teacher Discusses Guatemala Trip Kayla Velasquez, Osseo-Fairchild's MS/HS Spanish teacher, recently traveled to Guatemala as part of the Board of Directors for the Bucks County Organization for Intercultural Advancement (BCOIA), a nonprofit dedicated to expanding educational access for students and supporting teachers. During the trip, her team delivered more than 700 bags of school supplies to local schools and hosted a professional development seminar in Spanish for over 250 Mayan teachers from the Highlands.
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