2025 Fall Legislative Conference

#WASBLegConf2025

Saturday, November 8
Holiday Inn Stevens Point – Convention Center

Wisconsin education leaders and advocates gathered in Stevens Point to gain insight into the future of public education and discuss the most pressing issues facing their communities.

Attendees learned about effective advocacy and timely topics, including federal education funding, how to communicate budget challenges and state aid to your communities, how to effectively track legislation and take action, chronic absenteeism, school consolidation and much more.

Session Descriptions and Handouts

Federal Update
Presentation Materials
Post-Session Interview
The federal government’s role in K-12 education has historically been limited, but recent presidential administrations have increasingly sought to influence local education policy.  Most recently, the Trump Administration has looked for ways to reorganize federal education dollars and regulations. These sometimes-overlooked revenue streams and policies can have major impacts on districts, both urban and rural alike. Funding for economically disadvantaged pupils, teacher recruitment and retention, special education, English learners, out of school programming, internet access, rural school aids and more stem from the federal government.
Jared Solomon, COSSBA/BOSE Public Affairs Group Senior Policy Advisor

Understanding the 2025-27 State Budget: Communicating Impact Locally
Presentation Materials
The 2025-27 state budget has officially been enacted. While it brings increased support through special education reimbursement, it also presents significant challenges—most notably the absence of general school aid. How can school leaders effectively communicate the real-world consequences of these decisions to their local communities? This session offered practical strategies to help you translate policy into meaningful dialogue. Attendees learned how to frame the impact of the budget clearly and persuasively—and shared their own successful approaches with colleagues.
Randy Guttenberg, WASB Search and Governance Consultant; Ben Niehaus, WASB Director of Member Services; Bruce Quinton, WASB Search and Governance Consultant

Panel: Tracking Legislative Issues at the Board Level
Presentation Materials
Post-Session Interviews
School board members from around the state shared how they track legislative issues at the board level and what action steps they take to communicate with legislators. This session provided opportunities for attendees to discuss, share and ask questions.
Victor Ambrose, Chequamegon; Bob Bauman, Hudson; Shannon Grabko, D.C. Everest; Mike Spragg, Franklin

Recent Research and Trends in K-12 Education
Presentation Materials
Post-Session Interview
Sara Shaw, deputy research director at the Wisconsin Policy Forum, provided an in-depth view of recent trends in K-12 education issues. From declining enrollment to chronic absenteeism to the level of education funding in Wisconsin compared to other states, WPF has been at the forefront of public school research for years. The trends and data presented can be used to help board members and school leaders better prepare for the future and recognize how interconnected issues such as these pose challenges and opportunities for school budgets and decision making. Members also walked through WPF’s School DataTool, which is used by lawmakers and school officials alike to analyze how districts are dealing with economic and demographic realities.
Sara Shaw, Wisconsin Policy Forum Deputy Research Director

Legislative Discussion
Presentation Materials
This discussion offered attendees the opportunity to hear directly from key legislators—Sen. Brad Pfaff (D-Onalaska) and Rep. Joel Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay)—on their opinions and ideas for K-12 education policy and funding in Wisconsin. The laws and funding that directly affect your district operations are controlled largely by the state, and hearing from legislators offered attendees a window into how these key decision-makers are thinking about the future of the education landscape in Wisconsin.
Sen. Brad Pfaff (D-Onalaska); Rep. Joel Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay); Chris Kulow, WASB Government Relations Director