Wisconsin Education NewsMarch 11, 2026A daily update of education news and events that are taking place around Wisconsin. Capitol Update Two education proposals impacting elementary-age students did not advance out of the State Assembly this session and are therefore dead for the remainder of the year. AB 810/SB 805, which would have required an additional 30 minutes of mandated recess time, and AB 615/SB 616, billed as “Act 20 for Math,” will not be debated further this legislative session. Any proposals related to these topics would need to be reintroduced when the Legislature convenes its next session in January 2027. SAA will continue monitoring policy discussions and potential proposals as lawmakers begin preparing for the next legislative cycle. If you have questions please reach out to SAA Executive Director, Dee Pettack. Institute releases school transparency tool (The Center Square) – Voters across Wisconsin now have a bit more information on the nearly quarter-billion dollars in school referendum questions they will see on ballots next month. The Institute for Reforming Government on Tuesday released its School Referenda Transparency Tool. “Funding schools sufficiently is important, but taxpayers deserve clear information about district spending and staffing trends when considering new referenda,” IRG's Quinton Klabon said. “IRG’s tool provides simple, helpful information for anyone seeking to understand this April’s proposals.” The tool lists all 74 school referendum questions on the April ballot. They total $225 million. How many assaults happen in Madison schools? Public data may be wrong Madison’s public schools reported over 1,400 student assaults during the 2023-24 school year, the highest number in eight years, according to annual discipline data published online by the state Department of Public Instruction. But following questions from the Cap Times, school district officials now say the data published by state authorities appears to overcount the number of reported assaults — raising questions about the district’s mandatory data reporting and the actual prevalence of violence in Madison’s schools. St. Francis teacher Peter Graven on geology, curiosity, and a summer in Costa Rica Peter Graven, a science and robotics teacher at Deer Creek Intermediate School in the St. Francis School District, said his job focuses on big science and engineering ideas. That can involve modeling what's really happening in the world; other times it involves diving into topics using blended learning strategies. "It’s a balance of curiosity, creativity and helping students connect abstract ideas to real-world experiences," he said. His favorite science lesson to teach? All things geology, he says. Milton school board votes to pay down debt MILTON — The School District of Milton will save more than $1.5 million by paying down debt, per an action taken by the school board Monday. The district plans to put about $4.3 million in escrow to defease the debt, which will take an annual payment off the books. The district has about $42.6 million in debt from July 2019. The $4.3 million is coming from its capital referendum fund and has already been identified for this purpose. There is no additional funding for this action, District Director of Business Services Ross MacPherson said. Fond du Lac School District returns to ballot with $30 million referendum FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WBAY) - One year after a failed referendum, the Fond du Lac School District is asking voters to approve a four-year, $30 million referendum on April 7. The measure asks for $2.5 million less per year than the $40 million referendum that fell short in 2025. One claim dismissed in Save Our Schools' lawsuit vs. school district. But the lawsuit continues Judge Scott Nordstrand on Tuesday dismissed the open meetings law claim in Save Our Schools-Hudson’s lawsuit against the school board after the board voted to close two elementary schools. With the certiorari claim remaining and two board members served, the case will continue as the parent-led group seeks an injunction. Save Our Schools-Hudson had asserted four claims against the school board: an open meetings claim, a certiorari claim — which asks the court to review the decision of a governmental body, in this case the school board — procedural due process and equal protection. Lodi Board of Education votes for increase to district pay At the Lodi School District’s March 9 Board of Education meeting, board members voted to give a district-wide 3 percent increase in salary for most district staff. The base wage for those staff had been $43,000 for those with a bachelor’s degree and $46,150 for those with a master’s degree, according to a memo to the board’s personnel committee by Business Manager Jason Brewer. The April 2022 Referendum had also been planned with a $1,000 per year increase in base wages for each of the five years of the operational referendum. 'Difficult decisions to make': MPS superintendent discusses vote to cut hundreds of positions MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) is moving forward with a plan that would cut more than 250 jobs ahead of next school year. The Milwaukee Board of School Directors approved the cuts at a contentious school board meeting Monday night. The next day, MPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius shared more details at a Rotary Club of Milwaukee event. She was invited to be the featured speaker. Howard-Suamico School District to hold referendum sessions HOWARD (NBC 26) — Neighbors will have a chance to learn more about two upcoming Howard-Suamico School District referendum questions during a series of informational sessions this month. Voters will decide on April 7 whether to approve a $7 million operational referendum and a $147 million facilities referendum for the district. Waunakee School District hires new admin staff for 2026-27 New administrative staff are joining the Waunakee Community School District for the 2026-27 school year. The district has announced the next principal and associate principal to start at Waunakee Community High School, along with the new principal at Heritage Elementary School. Deanne Lensert is being promoted from associate high school principal to principal, while Jason Marshall, the current associate principal at Lodi High School, has been hired for the same job at Waunakee High School. Gosling Career Fair connects students and employers Watertown Unified School District’s Sarah Oudenhoven said the Gosling Career Fair is a chance for businesses and students to pair up and talk with one another. School board approves adding three positions for 2026-27 At its Monday, March 9 meeting, the Oregon School District Board of Education voted to approve three new staffing positions - a school psychologist for early childhood and 4K students, a special education assistant in grades K-4 and a speech and language pathologist district-wide. “These are critical positions to meet the needs of our students,” said district superintendent Leslie Bergstrom. There also is a possibility of needing to add more K-4 elementary teachers to the staff. Right now, the district is about one student over in a few of the sections and they would not add teachers because of that. Milton School Board approves JP Cullen bid for healthcare sciences lab renovation MILTON — The Milton School Board on Monday night approved a bid from JP Cullen of Janesville for it to be the general contractor on the upcoming renovation of a part of the high school into a healthcare sciences lab. The space will be turned over to JP Cullen on June 1 for the renovation work, and is expected to be turned back over to the district on Aug. 17.
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