by Dan Rossmiller | Mar 29, 2021 | Legislative Update Blog, State Issue
In an email to district administrators last Friday (3/26), the DPI clarified how it will calculate the allocation of certain federal ESSER II funds to 174 Wisconsin local education agencies (school districts).
This calculation affects the distribution of so-called “set-aside” funds under Joint Finance Committee Motion #16., which altered of the DPI’s proposed allocation of the 10% set-aside of funds provided under the December 2020 federal COVID relief act knows as the CRRSA Act. (more…)
by Chris Kulow | Mar 25, 2021 | Legislative Update Blog, State Issue
DPI has created a webpage titled COVID Response and Relief Planning Recommendations, a resource page to assist districts in the use of the one-time federal COVID relief funds. The webpage includes a number of categories vetted by experts as allowable costs under federal relief funds and will be updated regularly. From the webpage introduction: (more…)
by Chris Kulow | Mar 25, 2021 | Legislative Update Blog, State Issue
Bills passed by both houses and headed to the governor
Senate Bill 39 (Sen. Stroebel) The bill allows a pupil who attends a virtual charter school to participate in interscholastic athletics and extracurricular activities in the pupil’s resident school district. Such pupils must be allowed to participate on the same basis and to the same extent that the district permits pupils enrolled in the school district to participate.
An amendment eliminated the provision in the bill prohibiting (school boards from) interscholastic athletic association membership unless the association provides a waiver from its transfer rules for reasons of educational programming. (more…)
by Dan Rossmiller | Mar 22, 2021 | Election, Legislative Update Blog, State Issue
In addition to the race for State Superintendent and races for local school board seats on the April 6 ballot, there will be 70 important school district referenda on the ballot as well.
The April 6 Spring Election marks the final time school districts can place a referendum before district voters during calendar 2021. The next opportunity won’t come again until the Spring Primary in February 2022.
The 70 ballot questions on this year’s Spring ballot compares with 57 school referenda in April 2020 and 51 school referenda on last November’s ballot.
Here is a rundown of school district referenda on the Spring Election ballot:
(more…)
by Chris Kulow | Mar 17, 2021 | Legislative Update Blog, State Budget
The nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) has completed its analysis of the governor’s budget proposal. The much-awaited “Summary Document” is now available.
This is a key preliminary step that precedes the so-called “agency briefings” where state agency heads come before the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) to answer questions about their agency’s budget. Typically, these agency briefings are held shortly before the JFC public hearings begin.
(more…)
