Appleton elementary school among eight in Wisconsin to win National Blue Ribbon Award
An Appleton Area School District elementary school received national praise for its efforts to better serve all students. 

In annual address, state superintendent touts new reading law, defends diversity efforts
As some officials work to undo equity and inclusion efforts in schools, Wisconsin state superintendent Jill Underly on Thursday made diversity the central theme of her annual "State of Education" address, painting a picture of schools "on a precipice."

Neenah High School's artificial turf costs $525,000 and has shock pad to reduce injuries
The purchase and installation of the artificial turf at Neenah High School cost $524,808. The expense was part of the $171 million cost of the new school, which is located at 500 Rocket Way in Fox Crossing.

Beaver Dam School Board Reviews District’s Long-Range Facility Plan
The Beaver Dam School Board reviewed the district’s long-range facility master plan and process at their meeting this week.

Bay Port Band brings big presence to the field
Although halftime at a football typically draws people to the concession stand for a mid-game snack, the Bay Port Band’s halftime performance gives audiences a reason to rethink that popcorn run as nearly 200 students take their places on the field wielding instruments, flags and other props.

Leadership academy: How Little Chute's senior QB is using his voice to better the team
Little Chute's senior quarterback Charlie VandenBurgt is hoping to use the leadership skills he's learning in a school program to make the team more successful and cohesive.

‘Secure Pathways’ project nearly complete at Janesville schools
The main entrance at Monroe Elementary School is now more secure than ever before. This school year, visitors to any Janesville school will notice some significant changes when entering.

Task force to recommend new high school campus for De Pere school district
NBC 26 has learned that a recommendation to build a new high school campus is in the works on De Pere's east side.

School bus frustrations continue
Like many other school districts, Oconto Falls continues to struggle with a shortage of available school bus drivers as the new school year progresses.

Tips to State DOJ Website Tied to Arrest Following School Threats
A state website devoted to taking tips about school safety concerns gets some credit in a recent arrest near Madison.

New London reviews school budget
The New London School Board approved an 18% increase in the district’s 2023-24 tax levy at its Sept. 11 meeting.

Neillsville School Board Approves Early Graduation Requests, Field Trips, and More
The Neillsville School Board heard a couple updates at their meeting on Monday.

TDS, Forward Madison give $6K, rooftop party to Madison-area charter school district
Madison’s TDS Telecommunications LLC (TDS) and Forward Madison kicked off the new academic year by supporting a Madison-area charter school district.

Luxemburg-Casco Middle School introduces new policy removing access to smart devices during school
A new pilot initiative has been implemented at Luxemburg-Casco Middle School students are not allowed to access their smart devices during the school day.

Jill Underly stresses importance of DEI, hope for schools
State Superintendent Jill Underly reiterated her support for diversity, equity and inclusion in Wisconsin’s public schools Thursday even as a state Republican leader continues to push the state’s universities to end its DEI initiatives.

Alarming rise in mental health issues among Wisconsin teen girls: A call for heightened awareness and intervention
Wisconsin teens, especially girls, are struggling with their mental health. That's according to data from the CDC. Officials with the Wisconsin Office of Children's Mental Health call the statistics alarming.

Wedgewood Park International School one of three MPS schools with IB
Three MPS schools have been accepted into the International Baccalaureate program after a rigorous, multiyear application process. The program encourages critical thinking and helps prep students for post secondary life in a global society.

Wisconsin Ag Secretary Romanski visits local schools to learn about agriculture education
Logan and Central High School students have a new chance to learn about a major industry.

 

Kettle Moraine High School introduces new stadium, sports facilities
Kettle Moraine High School rang in the start of the school year and fall sports season with several brand-new sports facilities, including a football stadium, track and tennis courts.

A Wisconsin elementary school is delivering books to kids in a vending machine
One Brookfield elementary school is delivering books to students via a method normally used to distribute sodas and snacks. You guessed it: a vending machine.

Wisconsin school districts not spending federal funds on upgrading aging HVAC
Since the pandemic, millions of dollars have been available to Wisconsin school districts to improve air quality in aging buildings. But only about 20 percent of those federal dollars have been spent on replacing HVAC systems in schools. 

Beaver Dam School Board Accepts $125K Donation For Baseball Field Light
The Beaver Dam School Board has accepted a donation of $125-thousand dollars from the fundraising group “Leave Your Legacy,” to add lights to the high school’s baseball field. There were lights present at the field until 1980 when a tornado destroyed them and they have never been replaced.

Viking Elementary students enjoy the fruit of their labor
The 5th graders at Viking Elementary picked apples out of an orchard they planted four years ago behind the school. It's all part of the Farm to School program in the Holmen school district.

Active shooter threat hoaxes rock schools across the country, including Wisconsin
All buildings in a central Wisconsin school district were placed under lockdown on Wednesday after officials received a call of a possible active shooter.

Beloit School Board instructs Superintendent Willie Garrison to craft April referendum question
School District of Beloit voters will likely have another referendum on their ballot in April 2024. This time, it may come as administrators and school board members are up against a budgetary wall.

School buses of the future: Advocates push school districts to abandon diesel for electric
Wisconsin's clean energy industry is taking lawmakers to (metaphorical) school on the benefits of electric school buses during an event on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Madison Wednesday.

Girls on the Run empowering students at Todd and Gaston schools in Beloit
A program at Todd and Gaston Elementary schools aims to root out negativity in girls’ lives and encourage them to be better people. It gets them a fresh pair of shoes too.

Superior seeks funding for school forest improvements
The Superior School District is seeking help from the community to fund a three-day student construction project at the school forest in October.

Northland Pines 2nd Annual Honey Bee Festival
Northland Pines School District has bees, but they aren’t a problem.  The district has multiple hives at different campuses. 

Lights Project At BDHS Varsity Baseball Field Moves Forward
Lights may be shining at the Beaver Dam High School varsity baseball diamond sooner than later thanks to local community members who helped raise funds for the long talked about project.  

WEA Member Benefits Foundation Expands Funding for School-Based Mental Health Resources in Wisconsin Schools
In a 2021 survey to educators and district administrators, the Foundation asked, "What keeps you awake at night?" "Student mental health" was a common response. School districts need additional funding to support and strengthen school-based mental health programming. A missing piece became clear: access to funding.

Logan High School offering aviation course
Students at La Crosse Logan High School are learning to fly.

Madison school bus issues prompt parent demands for improvement
First Student Communications Manager Jen Biddinger suggested in an email Tuesday that shortage remains “the core of the issue,” and said “about 90% of MMSD bus routes continue to run on time,” leaving fewer than 10 of the 130 routes delayed on average.

Nicolet Union High School celebrates completion of new outdoor athletic spaces
A multi-purpose stadium featuring a synthetic turf field is part of the facilities project renovations at Nicolet Union High School in Glendale, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023.

Peshtigo School Board hears reports from Sodini & Williams
The Peshtigo School Board meeting on Wednesday, Sept 13 started with Middle/High School Principal Chad Sodini announcing that it was a good start to an early back to school date of Aug. 17.

Southern Door Board Urged to Keep Greenhouse Project
A former Southern Door School board member and FFA supporter on Monday urged the school board not to ignore a voter-approved greenhouse project.

Bangor Middle/High School breaks ground on new renovations
Construction is underway at the Bangor Middle/High School. The school district held a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday to celebrate the new facilities.

New Ideas for Gibraltar Gym
As long as Gibraltar Area School District is replacing the central sections of the school – including the middle school gym – board members are considering building a new competition gymnasium that could host two varsity basketball games at once.

Cameron School Board plans Sept. 25 annual meeting ; Budget figures presented
With an increase in enrollment, increasing valuations, and a change in how it will be allowed to operate within the state property tax levy formula, the Cameron School District is planning to submit a budget to taxpayers next Monday, Sept. 25, 2023, calling for an extra 20-cent property tax levy (per $1,000 valuation) and a 5.23 percent jump in its instructional budget.

DPI moving forward with school spending transparency website
The Department of Public Instruction is moving forward with a website to disclose details of school spending after the Joint Finance Committee dropped an objection to including information on private schools.

Evans Elementary Named National Blue Ribbon School
The Fond du Lac School District has announced that Evans Elementary has been named a National Blue Ribbon School for 2023. This honor is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and it is a distinction shared by only 353 schools across the United States.

Wisconsin agriculture grant promotes agriculture literacy
Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation's Ag in the Classroom program has awarded $4,500 to schools and educators to support innovative core curriculum initiatives that incorporate agriculture.

WI lawmakers hold hearing to provide driver’s ed grants for up to 15,000 low-income students
State-funded driver’s education is one step closer to returning to Wisconsin for the first time in 20 years.

Newer Horlick HS pathway focuses on manufacturing, engineering
They are three of the 35 students in the engineering and manufacturing pathway that offered its first class last year at Horlick, 2119 Rapids Drive.

Waukesha South forfeits football game against Muskego due to injuries
Waukesha South's football team has forfeited its Classic 8 Conference football game against co-conference leader Muskego on Friday night due to a run of injuries in the program.

Two southern Wisconsin schools earn national Blue Ribbon awards
Two southern Wisconsin schools earned a blue ribbon for their academic performance or ability to close their achievement gaps, the U.S. Department of Education revealed on Tuesday.

 

School board considers high school wall upgrade
At their Monday Sept. 18 meeting, Hayward School Board members received a report from Kraus-Anderson recommending that two weather barriers be installed on 40,000 square feet of the high school exterior wall, and special inspections be authorized, as part of the ongoing renovations.

Wisconsin Dells Education Foundation provides district students free breakfasts
It is often said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and Wisconsin Dells area students can now have it provided for free.

New PEASD Montessori School opens
The PEASD School Board voted to reopen the Palmyra Elementary School, which was empty for three years, to launch a new Montessori School for the district.

Consulting firms pitch services to GBAPS Board for boundary and equity study
Tuesday evening’s Green Bay Area Public School District’s Board of Education special meeting welcomed two consulting firms via Zoom for presentations on what they would do when it comes to studying the district’s boundaries and equity.

Beloit School Board votes to pursue operational referendum on April 2024 ballot
The Beloit School Board will put an operational referendum question on the April 2024 ballot after a Tuesday night vote.

Bangor School District breaks ground for phase II of referendum
The Bangor School District broke ground for phase II of the district’s referendum that was voted on last Fall.

Beloit School District "rainy day" fund projected to go down once again
As preliminary talks get underway for the 2023-2024 Beloit School District budget, the district is facing a depleting reserve fund.

National Blue Ribbon Schools, Wisconsin has 8 on 2023 list
The U.S. Department of Education named eight Wisconsin schools among its 353 National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2023.

Monroe Elementary named Blue Ribbon School
A local elementary school is being recognized as National Blue Ribbon School.

Sweeping Democratic education bills to reform voucher school program likely face uphill battle
Wisconsin Democrats have rolled out a series of sweeping education-related bills that would phase out parental choice programs and raise the state reimbursement rate for special education. 

Two Northeast Wisconsin schools named National Blue Ribbon Schools
Two schools in Northeast Wisconsin have been named a 2023 National Blue Ribbon School.

Hoffman: takes home two AGC Wisconsin Awards
Two Hoffman Planning, Design & Construction, Inc. projects have been recognized by the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Wisconsin 2023 BUILD Wisconsin Awards for their commitment to construction excellence.

Madison schools enrollment down about 500 students
The Madison Metropolitan School District is down to about 25,000 students for the 2023-24 school year, officials told the School Board Monday, meaning MMSD will continue to face challenging budgets.

Westosha Central approves tax levy increase, mill rate decrease in 2023-24 fiscal year
The Westosha Central High School Board of Education unanimously approved an $11,633,252 tax levy during its annual meeting for 2023-24.

School groundbreaking set for Sept. 27
Site preparation has been underway for several weeks along County Road I across from Oconto Falls High School, and now it’s time for the pomp and circumstance.

Waupaca schools face bus driver shortage
Students are experiencing first hand how a shortage of school bus drivers impacts athletic events and field trips.

Neubauer hosts education forum focusing on Racine
Advocates for public education met with Representative Greta Neubauer over Zoom on Wednesday to discuss the ongoing challenge of providing quality public education without sufficient funding.

School board meeting addresses grades, additional district governing
Eau Claire’s school board observed a presentation at Monday’s meeting regarding high school grade point averages, and the data creates expectations for the future.

Declining Madison School District enrollment brings 'serious consequences' for finances
Enrollment in the Madison School District has declined by 500 students since last year, continuing a yearslong trend attributed to lower birth rates and increasing numbers of students opting to enroll outside the district.

North Lakeland Elementary one of eight Wisconsin schools to earn national blue ribbons
The U.S. Department of Education has recognized 353 schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2023, including eight schools in Wisconsin.

White Lake Elementary students buzzing to learn about and maintain their bee hive
White Lake Elementary School, located about 20 miles east of Antigo, held a unique show and tell on Tuesday that’s creating a lot of buzz.

Big Foot announces cancellation of homecoming football game, final decision on season to be made next week
Big Foot High School announced in a press release received by the Lake Geneva Regional News that the Big Foot homecoming football game scheduled for Friday, Sept. 29 against New Glarus/Monticello has been cancelled due to low numbers and recent injuries.

Racine Horlick shows off its engineering and manufacturing lab
Racine Horlick High School manufacturing and engineering teacher Jeff Trinka was never a fan of gummy bears. Until now.

New bus for Phillips schools
The Phillips Board of Education approved a new bus purchase at its Sept. 18 regular meeting.

Appleton’s Houdini Elementary School Named Blue Ribbon School
Appleton’s Houdini Elementary School has been named a 2023 Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.

 

Portage school district grapples with nationwide teacher shortage
As hundreds of students and staff members have returned to Portage schools for another year of learning, teaching and growth, one obstacle looming is the effects of a nationwide teacher shortage.

De Pere School Board Approves Revised Flag Policy
Only certain flags will be allowed to be flown outside De Pere schools, after the school board approved a new flag policy Monday night.

Maple School District sets budget meeting
The Maple School Board will hold its budget hearing and annual meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 25.

DCE to launch mobile classroom for special ed preschool students
The D.C. Everest Area School District will launch in late September its Traveling Resources for Early Evergreens, or TREE, house bus designed to meet the needs of the district’s special education preschool students.

Operational referendum plans shelved
The Shawano School District is scrapping plans for an operational referendum that would have let it exceed levy limits for the next few years as Superintendent Kurt Krizan announced Sept. 15 that there is a $2.6 million surplus left from the 2022-23 budget.

Monona Grove School District sets tax levy at $33 million, mill rate increases to $10.94
The Monona Grove School District held its annual meeting and budget hearing on Monday, Sept. 11, setting the 2023-24 tax levy at $32,926,414, and an expected mill rate of $10.94.

Roland J. Hill
Roland J. Hill, age 94, of Viroqua, WI, passed away on Thursday, September 14, 2023.

 

Shell Lake School Forest Committee meets
The Shell Lake School Forest Committee recently met for a tour of what committee member and former Shell Lake School Board President Stuart Olson says is an underutilized resource.

Details of SASD’s New Collective Bargaining Agreement Released
Details of a new collective bargaining agreement approved on Tuesday between the Sheboygan Area School District Board of Education and the Sheboygan Education Association have been released.

School District announces launch of Flourishing First Steps
Flourishing First Steps is a new program that will enrich children from birth through four years of age, with the guidance of Fort Atkinson School District Early Childhood staff.

Teacher shortages cause staff members to take on more responsibility
Eight days into the school year, and Wautoma Area School District still has five teacher openings.

Wausau School District narrows down list to 14 for new school mascot names
The results of the second and latest mascot survey are in after the school district received more than 2,500 responses.

First grade teacher offers ‘Handle with Care’ resource for Dodgeville Elementary families
A first grade teacher at Dodgeville Elementary School is hoping to bridge the gap between home and school by increasing communication with parents. Samantha Arnston and other teachers at DES have introduced a trend that encourages parents to let their teacher know when their child needs to be “handled with care.”

Sauk Prairie Schools creates crisis team for student mental health
The Sauk Prairie School District is reformatting how they help students dealing with a mental health crisis, and the system could serve as a model for other districts in the state.

Oshkosh Company Helps Fund Field Trips for City’s Elementary Schools
An Oshkosh business is supporting its city’s elementary schools by providing funding for educational field trips.

Hoffmaster picks up bill for Oconto field trips
An Oshkosh-based company, Hoffmaster Group, Inc., has pledged $3,000 in funding to assist in covering the expenses associated with Oconto schools’ educational field trips during the upcoming 2023-24 school year.

Milton Schools sees grade school class sizes climb amid enrollment boost, draw down in staff
Milton School District is bucking statewide trends this year with an enrollment increase of more than two dozen students.

Gov. Evers: Blasts Republicans' vote to strip historic K-12 education increases from kids and schools
Gov. Evers today blasted Republicans in the Wisconsin State Legislature for attempting to override the governor’s partial veto in the 2023-25 budget that provided school districts with continued, additive per pupil revenue adjustments of $325 every year through 2425, sustaining school district spending for the foreseeable future. The move would take more than $300 per student away from K-12 schools across Wisconsin.

School District of Waukesha teacher turnover at 11%, according to recently released data
The rate of teacher turnover across the School District of Waukesha’s elementary, middle and high schools reportedly is at 11 percent, according to data shared Wednesday at a monthly School Board meeting, outpacing the statewide average of 15.8 percent.

Governor makes back to school visit with Rib Lake students
On Thurs., Sept. 7, Gov. Tony Evers visited with students and staff at Rib Lake elementary school as part of his statewide tour to welcome students, teachers, and staff back to school for the 2023-24 school year.

Riverdale Schools off to early start
The Riverdale School District is off to an early start this year and things are going awesome. 

A look at safety and security updates for 2023-24
The Verona Area School District (VASD) Board of Education had an eventful meeting on Monday, Sept. 11, which included updates about safety and security heading into the 2023-24 school year.

Board focuses on student inclusion
At the Stoughton Area School District Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 5, student representative Simon Mehring called for greater inclusion of the student body when it’s time for difficult conversations.

OSD approves preliminary 2023-24 budget
At its Monday, Sept. 10 meeting, the Oregon School District Board of Education unanimously approved a preliminary 2023-24 budget that would have the lowest mill rate in years at $9.59 per $1,000 of equalized assessed property value, down from last year’s $10.06.

Just a simulation: Mock crash gives students look at dangers of drunken driving
Although the early afternoon weather outside Whitewater High School on April 19 was cold, rainy, and glooming, it proved to be sadly appropriate for a Mock Motor Vehicle Accident, commonly referred to as a “Mock Crash.”

Wisconsin Senate votes to override veto that provided 400 years of funding for public schools
Senate Republicans voted to override Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' budget veto that increased funding to public school districts for the next 400 years. 

Department of Public Instruction: BadgerLink online library celebrates 25 years
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is celebrating 25 years of its innovative, online library containing hundreds of thousands of resources for K-12, postsecondary, and lifelong learners being available to any Wisconsinite.

Wausau School District mascot debate continues
The District launched its first community survey back in August. and people responded in a major way.

Proposed gender identity policy in Whitnall School District ignites spirited debate
A debate was ignited this week in the Whitnall School District over a new proposed policy regarding chosen names and pronouns.

From the newsroom: Falls district voters approve 2023-24 levy
School District of Menomonee Falls residents present at Sept. 11 annual meeting approved the tax levy for 2023-24 school years. The levy for the current school year will be $37,999,533, a 1.68 percent decline from last year’s levy.

Series: "Seclusion" and "restraint" Some area schools report high numbers of forcible methods
This article is the first in a series about the use of physical behavior-control methods on school children.

WEAC: Backs Minocqua Brewing SuperPAC lawsuit against voucher schools
The Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) is supporting the Minocqua Brewing Company SuperPAC in its effort to challenge Wisconsin’s school voucher systems, joining mounting calls for accountability concerning private schools that siphon taxpayer dollars from local public schools.

Spence Elementary hosts fifth grade leadership camp
Over the last couple weeks, students at Spence Elementary School have been learning what it takes to be a leader.

Count Day: Milwaukee Public Schools celebrate attendance
It was one of the most important days to be accounted for at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School. Principal Anesia Hayes said while every day at school matters Friday was extra special.

Proposed grant could make Driver’s Ed. more affordable in Wisconsin
Wisconsin lawmakers want to improve driving safety with a proposal to make driver’s education more affordable and accessible for future drivers.

Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame Inc. honoring Hall of Famers in local schools
The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame Inc. is introducing a new program to honor Packers Hall of Famers in schools and enhance engagement with students: the Legacy Series.

RUSD working on more proactive security approach
The 2023-24 school year has started for Racine Unified, and the school district’s approach to school safety includes a combination of reactive and proactive measures.

A new year is under way with new faces, but same mission for the Clayton School District
With three new administrators, four new support staff, and four new teachers on board, the Clayton School District kicked off the 2023-24 school year last week.

COVID protocols loosened in some Madison-area school districts
It’s been 42 months since the COVID-19 pandemic prompted major changes to health protocols in Wisconsin schools, and as classes begin this fall, some Madison-area school districts have decided to treat COVID like any other illness.

Wisconsin schools still have water fixtures with lead. Here's what that means
Four years ago, the Stevens Point Area Public School District realized it had a problem. Testing done by a school advocacy organization showed elevated levels of lead in the water coming from fixtures in buildings throughout the district.

International teachers help fill educator gap in Milwaukee Public Schools
When Ervis Veliu first stood in front of a classroom 16 years ago, he never thought he would end up teaching students in Milwaukee 5,000 miles away from home.  Veliu is part of a growing number of international educators who have come to the city, as district administration looks far beyond Wisconsin's borders to fill staff vacancies left by the teacher shortage.