Wisconsin Education NewsMarch 18, 2026A daily update of education news and events that are taking place around Wisconsin. Resources from the Office of School Safety April is the Month of the Military Child Public turns out at council to hear more about school referendum SHELL LAKE — With the Tuesday, April 7 election fast approaching, Shell Lake School District Supt. Todd Felhofer and the School Board have been working to get out information about the operational referendum that will be on the ballot. Felhofer spoke to the Shell Lake City Council on Monday, March 9, and many citizens came out to hear information about what they will be voting for. Oshkosh schools to stage three-day summit to shape future planning OSHKOSH – The district is looking for public input. Parents, students, staff and businesses are set to take part in the first-ever three-day Oshkosh Schools Summit next month to help the Oshkosh Area School District chart a new path with its public schools. OASD made the announcement in a news release ahead of the summit, slated for Menominee Elementary Schools’ cafeteria April 28-29 and May 2. Moody’s Assigns Aa3 Rating to Whitewater Unified School District Moody’s Ratings has assigned an Aa3 rating to the Whitewater Unified School District’s planned $13.6 million issuance of general obligation promissory notes. Moody’s also maintained the district’s Aa3 issuer rating and Aa3 rating on its outstanding general obligation unlimited tax bonds. Following the sale, WUSD will have approximately $34 million in outstanding general obligation unlimited tax debt. MPS eliminating certain central office positions MILWAUKEE — Two officials in Milwaukee Public Schools' central office are leaving the district this week. MPS' chief of schools, Dr. Keely Roberts, and budget director Nick Sinram are both leaving the school district, with their last days being this week. Eleva-Strum School District seeks operational referendum, would lower mill rate if approved STRUM (WQOW) - The Eleva-Strum School District is asking voters for a three-year $600,000 referendum. If approved it would lower the rate property owners are paying. The referendum would allow the district to exceed the state revenue limit by $600,000 each year for the next three school years. The last referendum set to expire this spring was for $700,000 each year, meaning property taxes would decrease by $23 per $100,000 in property value. The district's current mill rate is $6.46 in taxes per $1,000 in property value. McFarland virtual high school helps Dane County enrollment numbers increase MCFARLAND, Wis. -- Data from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction released data showing that overall state enrollment in public schools has declined for yet another year, but one district in Dane County has helped keep that area’s numbers growing. The McFarland school district’s Wisconsin Virtual Academies high school brought in about half of total enrollment for the district. Showing an interesting trend toward virtual schooling. School districts out of snow days, shifting to virtual learning days WESTON, Wis. (WSAW) - The D.C. Everest School District has used all of its allotted snow days for the school year. Any future weather-related closures will shift to virtual learning days. Students had their fourth snow day after district administrators said roads were not safe for school buses. The blizzard caused schools to close on Monday and Tuesday. Cornell School District puts future of high school on April ballot CORNELL, Wis. (WEAU) - The Cornell School District is going to referendum this spring with a major question on the ballot. It’s not just asking the community to support building a new high school; it’s asking whether they want to continue having a high school in Cornell. Parts of Cornell High School are more than 100 years old. You can see the aging of the facilities from the walls to the floors, and even in the bathrooms. Wisconsin Democrats float $1.3B school funding proposal amid tax cut negotiations As Wisconsin’s Republican leaders and Gov. Tony Evers continue working to hammer out a deal to provide both tax relief and money for schools, the state’s legislative Democrats have come up with their own plan. A new proposal would spend $1.3 billion of the state’s $2.5 billion surplus on education. New student cell phone policy set for Waunakee School District For the most part, the Waunakee School District was already adhering to a new state law restricting student cell phone use during instructional time. On March 9, the school board took a step toward completing the process by unanimously approving a new policy on the matter. Tim Schell, the district’s director of secondary curriculum and instruction, provided an update of where things sit. Three Wisconsin school districts on what's at stake for their spring referendum requests The requests this spring include 60 operational referendum requests, totaling over $1 billion in requests, and 14 for capital expenses. A hallway in La Follette High School in Madison. More than 70 school referendum questions will appear on ballots across the state in April, continuing the trend of school districts going to voters to ask permission to raise property taxes to keep up with costs. The requests this spring include 60 operational referendum requests, totaling over $1 billion in requests, and 14 for capital expenses. Two school districts, Sauk Prairie and Howard-Suamico, have a capital and an operating request on the ballot. Utilizing cow judging in the classroom Every year, the Neillsville FFA enters the Hoard's Dairyman Judging Contest. During our March FFA Meeting, student Emily Gerhardt presented a slideshow on the basics of dairy judging. Typically, our Dairy Judging Career Development Events (CDE) team gives the members tips and tricks to dairy judging and some key features to look for. Eric Burke and the Rhinelander Referendum: Role Models for the Future In 2024, voters in the School District of Rhinelander approved a roughly $26 million capital improvement referendum to fund a world-class automotive lab and Fab Lab upgrades, focusing heavily on broad-reaching technical education. This kind of support doesn’t happen overnight. There’s always a back story.
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