Wisconsin Education NewsMarch 6, 2026A daily update of education news and events that are taking place around Wisconsin. Register for the Creating a Culture of Excellence for All Conference The conference will highlight the leadership practices essential to building continuous improvement at the school and district levels and will feature sessions by Wisconsin school and district exemplars (June 25-26, 2026, in Madison). View the program here. Jacobson Field at John Heineke Stadium becomes a reality BELOIT — John Heineke was head football coach at Beloit Memorial so long he was on the sidelines at three different home football fields. Over 33 seasons with the Purple Knights, he coached games at Strong Stadium and then at Pohlman Field before Jacobson Field opened. That last stop will soon bear his name. The School Board approved 7-0 on Tuesday night the renaming of the high school football complex to Jacobson Field at John Heineke Stadium. Waukesha school district considers random drug tests for student athletes WAUKESHA, Wis. — The Waukesha School District is considering a proposal to randomly drug test student athletes, following concerns raised by the board clerk about marijuana's impact on students' mental health. The proposal, discussed at a committee meeting on Tuesday night, aims to identify students using cannabis and provide them with necessary help. Students advocate at Wisconsin Capitol for mental health and 988 hotline funding MADISON, Wis. (Gray) - More than 100 students representing over 20 schools across Wisconsin came to the state Capitol on Thursday to advocate for increased mental health resources, including continued funding for the state’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. “They’re not afraid to talk about mental health,” Mary Kay Battaglia, the executive director of the National Alliance of Mental Illness Wisconsin, said. “My young generation, we didn’t talk about it. We stayed in the shadows, and so this is just a wonderful event.” Madison middle schoolers get hands-on aviation experience through new school partnership MIDDLETON, Wis. (WMTV) -Students from Madison-area middle schools visited Middleton Municipal Airport on Friday, climbing into cockpits and meeting the mechanics and pilots who work there as part of a new partnership between the Madison Metropolitan School District and Willa Brown Aviation Academy. The district is working with WBAA to identify students from four middle schools who are interested in aviation and send them on field trips to learn more about the industry. Siren Schools save $9,500, launch mental health squad By Becky Strabel [email protected] Mar 5, 2026 The Siren School Board held its regular monthly meeting on Monday, Feb. 23, covering a range of topics including student recognition, a new mental health initiative, academic progress updates, food service savings, and a community donation. Discussion and staffing decisions for the 2026-27 school year are addressed in a separate article in this publication. Brookwood High School debuts new performing arts auditorium this weekend ONTARIO, Wis. (WXOW) – Students at Brookwood High School are ready to make their grand debut in their new performing arts auditorium. Less than a year ago, the students were performing on a concrete stage in a gymnasium with metal chairs and makeshift lighting. "On our old stage, we had only eight lights and three of them didn't work," said Brookwood junior Miranda. MPS Students Say School Police Are Policing More Than Crimes Several Milwaukee Public Schools students shared their concerns that school resource officers have enforced school rules and not just criminal activity – something both MPS and the Milwaukee Police Department say should not happen. They said that it’s a development they feared when school resource officers – MPD officers assigned to MPS – were deployed to the school district in March 2025. That followed a court order tied to Wisconsin Act 12, a 2023 law requiring at least 25 officers in schools. Oginski speaks of the district's strategic plan ANTIGO — The Antigo School District has established a comprehensive strategic plan that is aimed at shaping the district’s educational priorities and operations for the coming years, a plan that school board members say will guide efforts to improve student outcomes, strengthen community engagement and address district challenges. The initiative comes as part of ongoing discussion at recent board meetings and broader efforts to define long term goals for teaching, learning and district performance. According to Superintendent Glenda Oginski, the work for the strategic plan began before she was superintendent. Report: Wisconsin high school graduation rates show improvement MADISON, Wis. — The statewide high school graduation rate continues to improve after last year’s record high, according to a new report released by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). At least 92% of Wisconsin high school students graduated on time during the 2024-25 school year. That’s up from 91.1% in the 2023-24 school year. MPSD to Honor the Legacy of Madison and Jackson Elementary Schools As the Manitowoc Public School District continues to get ready for a major consolidation next school year, it will be honoring the legacy of Madison and Jackson Elementary Schools. Both are set to be closed at the end of the school year, marking the end of an era for the schools that raised multiple generations of Manitowoc families. BROOKFIELD, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A nationwide tour orchestrated by the U.S. Department of Education will make its one stop in Wisconsin Friday. The stop in Brookfield is drawing criticism from some parents and students who believe the event will have a partisan slant, given some of the groups involved in the tour. The "History Rocks" tour kicked off in December. The Department of Education venture brings Secretary of Education Linda McMahon or other agency officials to one school in each state. Two Rivers Elementary Principals Explain Realignment Process The two elementary school principals in Two Rivers Public Schools are supporting the district’s realignment of their schools. Superintendent Diane Johnson reexplained on WOMT’s Be My Guest program on Tuesday (March 3rd) that the realignment is happening due to population decline that the district started to see in the 2024-2025 school year. Although the conversation about the plan started in 2022. New Wisconsin bill aims to ban phones for entire school day, not just during learning time (WTAQ-WLUK) — Cellphone policies in Wisconsin school districts may once again be getting a makeover. Lawmakers are now considering a new bill that would ban cell phones for the entire school day. Many Wisconsin schools already have bell-to-bell cell phone bans in place, but Republican lawmakers believe making it a law will provide better support to districts.
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