Wisconsin Education NewsOctober 27, 2025A daily update of education news and events that are taking place around Wisconsin. NEW Webinar! Post Retirement Benefit Trends A School Leader's Guide to Long-Range Facilities Planning Webinars
Two Manitowoc elementary schools would close under plan approved by school board MANITOWOC – The Manitowoc Public School District is preparing to move forward with a plan that would close two elementary schools and redistribute students in grades five and six. The restructuring plan was presented by the Facility Advisory Committee, which was created earlier this year with a specific plan of analyzing the district to see what it should look like and how to create the best learning environments for the students amid declining enrollments, including which buildings should remain open and where each grade should be located. Solar on La Crosse Schools passes torch to school district after largest installation yet LA CROSSE, Wis. (WXOW) – After five years of advocacy, education, and fundraising, the grassroots group Solar on La Crosse Schools (SOLS) celebrated its final project—a 149-kilowatt solar array on the roof of Southern Bluffs Elementary. At an assembly Friday morning, students, teachers, and community partners gathered to mark the milestone and learn how renewable energy is powering their school. MPSD Superintendent Thennes: Approved Budget Aims to ‘Minimize the Tax Burden’ The Manitowoc Public School District has approved its 2025-2026 budget. In a letter to SeehaferNews.com, Superintendent Lee Thennes called it a “balanced budget”, in which they levy just under $10 million from the taxpayers. MPD Gets Nearly 900 Calls From MPS Schools Over Three-Month Period Milwaukee Public Schools made nearly 900 calls for police service during the roughly three-month period after school resource officers were ordered to return to the district, records obtained from the Milwaukee Police Department through an open records request show. The records span from March 17 to June 13. Officers were assigned to MPS in March after a court order required that the district and City of Milwaukee comply with Wisconsin Act 12, a state law mandating the district have at least 25 police officers stationed at schools. Lawmakers Ask For AG Opinion on Alleged Loophole in Teacher Grooming Cases State lawmakers are seeking a legal opinion from Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul about whether allegations of public school teachers grooming students is punishable by an existing state law barring immoral conduct that endangers children’s safety. The vote by the Assembly Committee on Government Operations and Transparency, or GOAT, came after a contentious hearing responding to an investigative news report into hundreds instances of public school employees being accused of sexual misconduct or grooming behaviors towards students. Horlick High School hosts academy showcase State Superintendent Jill Underly’s absence at an informational hearing on grooming and sexual misconduct in Wisconsin schools drew bipartisan criticism from lawmakers. Meanwhile, DPI staff said the agency takes allegations of misconduct “deadly seriously” and argued ambiguity in current law limits DPI’s authority to address them. The Assembly Government Operations, Accountability and Transparency hearing yesterday followed a Capital Times report that the Department of Public Instruction had investigated more than 200 teachers, aides, substitutes and administrators between 2018 and 2023 following accusations of sexual misconduct or grooming behaviors. Historic Luling School in Manitowoc earns spot on National Register of Historic Places MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A more than 130-year-old school in Manitowoc is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Luling School at 1010 Huron Street was constructed in 1892 and displays characteristics of classically derived styles popular at the turn of the 20th century, specifically the Italian Renaissance Revival style, while the gymnasium features the Neoclassical style. Green Bay school board considers high school schedules, budget Monday GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - The Green Bay Area School Board is tackling several big issues at Monday night’s meeting, including changes to the high school schedule and finalizing the budget. The board is expected to vote on the schedule change. The big change is that the school day would be structured into seven 50-minute periods, with lunch as an extra period. Currently there are seven 48-minute class periods. Veterans Day could become state holiday in Wisconsin, the last holdout Every state in America has established Nov. 11, or Veterans Day, as a state holiday — except for Wisconsin. A bill introduced by Democratic legislators would change that. Veterans Day is a federal holiday and a bank holiday, meaning all federal workers, banks and post offices are closed. Making it a state holiday would mean state offices in Wisconsin would also be closed on Nov. 11. Lawmakers said the change would align the state with the federal observance of the holiday and help further recognize Wisconsin's veterans. Madison school district set to build new schools, review school boundaries The Madison school district is preparing to break ground on another ambitious facilities renovation. That work comes after voters passed a $507 million facilities referendum last year to fund projects at 10 schools across the district. They include new buildings for five middle schools, two elementary schools and one alternative high school — some at shared sites. Westosha Central High School District & Wheatland J1 School District announce new virtual academy Two local school districts will be collaborating on a virtual academy that could be ready for the 2026-27 school year. From Westosha Central High School District and Wheatland J1 School District: Westosha Central High School District and Wheatland J1 School District are excited to announce Southeast Virtual Academy (SVA), a new virtual charter school in Western Kenosha County designed to meet the evolving needs of today’s students and families, serving students in grades 5-12. Thanks to a $1.1 million Federal Charter School Grant, SVA is being planned and developed throughout the 2025-26 school year, with the goal of opening in the 2026-27 school year. CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. (WEAU) - 20 years have come and gone along with the mourning and trauma for on Chippewa Valley community. Five people were killed in a bus crash along I-94 near Osseo back in 2005. “It is a long time and for some of us it’s like yesterday,” said Brian Collicott. “I was a director at the time with Doug and I was sitting in the front seat alongside him like I always was.” Alyssa Thoms was a Chippewa Falls High School student at the time.
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