by Dan Rossmiller | Dec 14, 2020 | Federal Budget, Federal Issue, Legislative Update Blog, National Issue
With Congress facing a time crunch to approve both a federal budget deal and more federal COVID relief aid, a bipartisan group of lawmakers today (12/14) unveiled a two-part $908 billion COVID-19 relief package.
The first part would provide $748 billion to fund another round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) assistance for small businesses; an extension of unemployment benefits; and more money for schools, COVID testing, vaccine distribution and other widely agreed-upon items.
The proposal is said to include $82 billion for education, an amount which includes $54 billion both K-12 education and $20 billion for colleges and universities. In addition, $7.5 billion is included for a Governor’s Fund. Provisions earmarking some of this funding for private and parochial schools are also included in the bipartisan package, although details were not available at the time this post was written.
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by Dan Rossmiller | Dec 11, 2020 | Legislative Update Blog, State Issue
A pair of study reports released this week by the non-partisan Wisconsin Policy Forum shed light on the potential challenges school leaders will confront as the state of Wisconsin addresses its 2021-23 biennial (two-year) budget.
The first report suggests the state will face its toughest budget challenge since 2011. The second report shows 2020 school district property tax levies rising significantly faster than inflation, although at a slower rate of increase than in 2019. (more…)
by Chris Kulow | Dec 11, 2020 | Legislative Update Blog, State Issue
The following is from the Office of School Safety:
ATTENTION GRANT RECIPIENTS
There are only two weeks left until the end of the School Safety Initiative Grant. The project end date for both Round 1 and Round 2 grants is 12/31/2020, with final fiscal and program reports due in Egrants on 1/30/2021. Please keep in mind that any unobligated funds after 12/31/2020 will be turned back to the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of School Safety (OSS).
Below is a reminder of the training requirements tied to this grant: (more…)
by Chris Kulow | Dec 9, 2020 | Legislative Update Blog, State Issue
State Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) has been appointed the new Chair of the Senate Committee on Education succeeding the retiring Luther Olsen. The announcement came as part of new Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu’s overall release on Senate committee structure for the upcoming 2021-22 legislative session.
Sen. Darling has been the co-chair of the Legislature’s budget committee as well as vice-chair of the education committee for the past several sessions. She was elected to the state Assembly in 1990, the state Senate in 1992 and is a former education committee chair. She represents the 8th Senate District (see map) which includes the following school districts (some partial): Arrowhead UHS, Brown Deer, Cedarburg, Erin, Fox Point J2, Germantown, Glendale-River Hills, Grafton, Hamilton, Hartford J1, Hartford UHS, Holy Hill Area, Maple Dale-Indian Hill, Menomonee Falls, Mequon-Thiensville, Merton Community, Milwaukee, Nicolet UHS, Port Washington-Saukville, Richmond, Whitefish Bay
Also announced as serving on the committee are Sens. Kathy Bernier (R-Chippewa Falls) as vice chair and Steve Nass (R-Whitewater).
by Dan Rossmiller | Dec 4, 2020 | Legislative Update Blog, State Issue
On Wednesday (12/2), the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) released Geographic Information System (GIS) maps and corresponding downloadable data tables that break down confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths by a variety of geographic boundaries, including by municipal and school district boundaries and by zip code.
Among other things, the new maps will allow Wisconsinites to view existing COVID-19 case rates and death data by school district boundaries. In announcing the new maps, DHS Secretary-designee Andrea Palm said, “Breaking down existing case data by these additional geographies offers new ways for people to understand COVID-19 activity within their communities.”
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