Wisconsin Education NewsMarch 20, 2026A daily update of education news and events that are taking place around Wisconsin. Free 1-Hour Workshop on Building Teacher Collective Efficacy from The Main Idea In schools with a strong sense of teacher collective efficacy, students learn almost four times as much as those in schools without it. In this workshop, expert Jenni Donohoo will share how to build collective teacher efficacy at your school. Please join us for this workshop on April 20, 2026 at 11am. This workshop is included in your subscription to The Main Idea. RSVP here. GREEN BAY, Wis. — Voters in the Howard-Suamico School District will be asked to approve two referendum questions in the April election. There are more than 420 school districts in Wisconsin. Howard-Suamico is going to a referendum because it’s the 18th lowest funded in the state. This means the district receives less funding per student than 95% of the state. A $147 million capital referendum and a $7 million operational referendum will be on the ballot. First referendum in 25 years: Mellen school district seeks $2 million for renovations Voters in the School District of Mellen will be asked April 7 to vote on a $2 million referendum that would fund a major school building renovation project. If passed, the five-year referendum would cost the owner of a $200,000 home $310 per year, or $25.83 a month. The district has not passed a referendum in 25 years, said Sheri Kopka, the district’s superintendent. Most recently, residents voted 355 to 277 against a referendum that would have allowed the district to exceed its revenue spending limit by $500,000 over three school years to address ongoing maintenance issues. Mentoring program connects students, volunteers In the Oregon School District, students in fourth through eighth grade have the opportunity to grow their support system through a mentoring program designed to connect them with caring adults in the community. The program, called the “Be A Champion Mentor Program,” pairs students with volunteer mentors who meet with them regularly during the school day. Through weekly conversations, games and simple activities, the goal is to build positive relationships that help students feel supported both inside and outside the classroom. Now in its seventh year, the program has grown from a small pilot into a districtwide initiative serving dozens of students. Madison district monitors effect of César Chávez allegations on namesake school Following new allegations that César Chávez had sexually assaulted and harassed girls decades ago, Madison school district officials said Wednesday they were gathering information and monitoring developments. Chávez Elementary School on the district’s southwest side is named after the late civil rights and labor leader. Earlier Wednesday, the New York Times published an investigation that found “extensive evidence” Chávez had groomed and sexually abused girls. Chávez, who co-founded the United Farm Workers union, died in 1993 at age 66. Fall Creek School District seeking referendum for building expansion with new gym, classrooms FALL CREEK (WQOW) - The Fall Creek School District is seeking a referendum for a building expansion project to help keep up with growing enrollment. The district is seeking a referendum totaling $24.8 million dollars over 20 years. If passed it would fund building an extension with more middle school classrooms and an auditorium and gym space. It would also convert the current auditorium into a middle and high school art room, create a dedicated middle school secure entrance way, update building interiors, and add more parking. Hartland parents shocked by district's 650% bussing fee increase HARTLAND, Wis. — The Hartland-Lakeside School District is increasing its "pay to ride" busing fee from $110 to $830 per student. The program allows children who live two miles or closer to a school to pay to ride the bus. Legally, the school district does not have to bus any child who lives within two miles unless a hazard prevents them from walking. 'It has to pass': Lake Country School District faces possible dissolution ahead of referendum HARTLAND, Wis. (CBS 58) - Lake Country School District residents will be voting on an operational costs referendum in April that would help fund the district. If approved, the referendum would mean an extra 13 cents a year of property taxes per $1,000 of fair market value on a home. Which means if a home is worth $100,000, the owner would have to pay an additional $13 per year. The referendum was voted down in 2024 and 2025 but is back for a third time this year. RUSD History: William Horlick High School RACINE, WI – William Horlick High School is the oldest high school in the Racine Unified School District (RUSD), known for honoring its history and namesake. The school offers many opportunities for its students and is heavily involved in the community. Horlick opened on Sept. 17, 1928, shortly before Washington Park High School opened its doors. Voss, district library program honored The Verona Area School District and librarian Teresa Voss were selected to receive the Forward Award during the Wisconsin Educational Media & Technology Association (WEMTA) annual conference at the Kalahari Resorts and Conventions. According to a news release from the organization, the Forward Award recognizes exemplary school library media programs in Wisconsin’s schools, in order to strengthen school library programs and support student achievement. School District honored for staff engagement According to the latest Gallup poll, the Cedar Grove-Belgium School District is in the top seven districts in the state for staff engagement. It’s not a political preference indicator. These results are based on responses from employees themselves. The district, using a Gallop Q12 survey last fall, has an employee engagement rate of 54%, up from 47%, and dropped its actively disengaged percentage to almost zero. High school students work to construct tiny home for future students LA CROSSE, Wis. (WEAU) - Students at Logan High School are putting together a fully functional tiny home that will operate as a future training space for students with special needs to build independent living skills. “That’s what really makes this project special. It’s being built by students, for students. It just really makes it mean a little bit more to the kids, because they’re building that’s going to be used by their peers. For those students with special needs who are going to get to use it, it’s going to provide them with hands-on learning experiences,” says Logan High School tech Ed teacher Ryan Schreiner. Vos says he's open to boosting special education funding as part of plan to spend budget surplus Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said Assembly Democrats’ $1.3 billion proposal to spend down the state’s surplus “wasn’t serious” but he was “open to” spending more on special education. Democrats on Monday proposed to increase general school aid by $445.9 million and raise the special education reimbursement to 60%. “The challenge the Assembly Democrats have is it’s been so long since many of them have been involved in governing,” Vos said, adding “It basically took the entire surplus and put it into funding special ed – which, frankly, I’m open to that idea, to some extent.” Vos said at a WisPolitics luncheon any potential deal would have to include property tax relief. 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." Blizzard impacts area school schedules Not many weather events shut down everything, but the recent snowstorm that has been dubbed the Ides of March blizzard because the bulk of it occurred March 15 left schools across the state with closed doors. Prior to the blizzard, another snowstorm passed through impacting schools. Although schools in the Shawano area went on as usual, schools in Menominee, Oconto and western Shawano counties canceled classes March 13 as several inches fell in the area, making roads hazardous. Augusta Area School District seeking referendum to help close budget gap AUGUSTA (WQOW) - The Augusta Area School District is seeking an operational referendum to help close a budget gap heading into next year. The district is asking for $375,000 each of the next two school years. It is facing a projected budget deficit of $630,000 next year, meaning if the referendum passes, cuts will still need to be made. District Administrator Reed Pecha said they have made significant budget cuts over the past few years, cutting $1.6 million from 13 staff positions last year and $2.3 million the year before that. SMALL TOWNS: Hilbert superintendent retiring after 20 years leading hometown district HILBERT, Wis. (WBAY) — Tony Sweere has spent two decades as superintendent of the Hilbert School District — the same district where he graduated in 1989. This summer, he’ll leave the district once again. This time, for retirement. When thinking about his upcoming retirement, Tony says the hardest part will be the final day of school. “That’s probably what I’m dreading most,” he said, “the last day of school and to see the kids walk away.” Music in Our School Month: Jefferson schools highlight performing arts JEFFERSON — This month, the School District of Jefferson is celebrating Music in Our Schools Month and Theatre in Our Schools Month by spotlighting their performing arts programs. Starting in elementary school, students begin learning rhythm and melody with ukuleles, bass xylophones, and drums. This starts to build a “foundation of literacy and performance that carries them through graduation,” the school district said in a release. Wesener to replace retiring Sweere in Hilbert HILBERT - Nathan Wesener will replace the retiring Tony Sweere as the Hilbert Public Schools superintendent. The move was officially approved by the Hilbert School Board on Tuesday night. Wesener, a 2003 Hilbert High School graduate, has served as a special education teacher and is currently the middle/high school principal. Parents rally to save East Fine Arts Institute as Green Bay school district weighs cuts GREEN BAY (WLUK) -- The Green Bay Area Public School District continues to look for ways to cut costs, saying it's facing an $8 million shortfall going into next school year. Officials cite declining enrollment, lower-than-budgeted state aid for special education and other factors as contributing to the problem. District leaders have been gathering community feedback on how to close the gap. Some options include no pay raises for staff, increasing fees, lowering the number of school days, closing pools or delaying technology purchases. Chilton School Board reviews results of community survey At a Chilton School District Board of Education special meeting held recently, Superintendent Sue Kaphingst discussed with School Board members Terry Criter, Dave Juckem, Jerry Kolbe and Anna Waldron the more notable issues that stood out to them from the Leadership Profile Assessment recently completed by Hazard, Young, and Attea & Associates (HYA). The board hired HYA at a cost of $19,500 to gather information from the community to gain an understanding of the characteristics desired for the next superintendent, as Kaphingst will be stepping down at the end of the year. ‘Divine 9’ Visits Albert Story Elementary School for Black History Month On Monday February 23, 2026, representatives of the “Divine 9”, the nine historically African American fraternities and sororities that compose the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), visited Albert Story School, 3815 W. Kilbourn Ave., to talk to the students about higher education and opportunities in the community as part of Black History Month. MADISON, WI – This week, alongside Representative Angelina Cruz, Minority Leader Greta Neubauer, and the entire Assembly Democratic Caucus, State Representative Christian Phelps (D-Eau Claire) introduced as lead author a proposal to responsibly use the funds leftover from inadequate state budgets to pick up the tab for public schools and save Wisconsinites on property tax bills. Lake Geneva Schools superintendent explains plan to dissolve one of its elementary schools LAKE GENEVA, Wis. — Lake Geneva Schools Superintendent Pete Wilson said the district is making hard choices because of declining enrollment. The district will soon phase out Eastview Elementary School and send all fifth-grade students to Lake Geneva Middle School. Parents were notified of the final decision about the change in the past month. The reorganization will take effect in the 2027-2028 academic year. Fox Cities PAC celebrates milestone of 500,000 students participating in education series APPLETON (WLUK) -- The Fox Cities Performing Arts Center is celebrating a monumental achievement in its mission to support the growth of young people in Northeast Wisconsin. 500,000 students have now participated in the Amcor Education Series, which began in 2002.
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