Legislative Update
Action needed: DPI proposes changes to school start date to allow schools more flexibility
The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) recently proposed changes (Clearinghouse Rule CR 24-026) to the school start date rule that governs the issuance of start date waivers. The goal behind this is to provide clearer guidance and additional flexibility for school districts when applying for a waiver. The proposed rule provides more flexibility for school boards when seeking to adjust their school calendars to better meet the academic and local needs of their respective districts. Currently, school boards are significantly limited in requesting an exemption to the school start date.
The WASB strongly supports this proposed rule based on our WASB Resolution supporting local control of the school start date. While this does not get us all of the way back to school boards having the authority to set their own start date locally, boards would be granted greater flexibility in determining the start date for their district. PLEASE SUBMIT COMMENTS IN SUPPORT OF THIS RULE (information on how to do this is below). read more…
Senate Committee votes against passage of SB 378, relating to transgender athletes in school athletics.
From WisPolitics: “A Senate committee (The Senate Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families) today voted against recommending legislation that would bar transgender athletes from playing girls sports after GOP Sen. Joan Ballweg joined two Dems in opposing it.
AB 377/SB 378 can still advance to the Senate floor next week despite the 3-2 vote, via paper ballot, against the bill. GOP committee members Jesse James, R-Altoona, and Rachel Cabral-Guevara, R-Appleton, both voted for it.
The legislation, which passed the Assembly along party lines in October, would require public, choice and charter schools to designate their sports teams as either male, female or co-ed. Those who were identified as male on their birth certificates would be barred from playing on a team designated for females. read more…
Joint Finance Committee schedules meeting for Monday on reading curricula
The state Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance (JFC) has scheduled a meeting for Monday, March 11, 11:01am on what early literacy curricula will be approved under 2023 Wisconsin Act 20, the law that revamped early reading requirements. The DPI had recommended 11 curricula that it says meet Act 20 requirements after a council on early reading curricula (set up at the DPI by Act 20) recommended four. A member of the JFC objected to DPI’s recommendations triggering the committee meeting. See the background paper from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB), including the list of curricula, for the meeting here.
The DPI recommended three out of the four curricula recommended by the literacy council. The LFB paper included potential alternatives the committee could choose from including approving the 11 submitted by the DPI, the four approved by the council, the three that were approved by both, or outright deny the request. The JFC is not bound to select one of those alternatives, however. Whatever the outcome, schools are not required to use curricula from the finalized list of recommendations, but there is an opportunity to have some of the cost reimbursed by the state if a school decides to choose one from the list.
93 school district referendums on the April 2 ballot
When voters go to the polls for the April 2 Spring Election, in addition to the federal election primaries, and school board races, they will find 93 local school district referendums on the ballot in 86 districts.
Overall, 43 of those referendums will ask for temporary (or non-recurring) authority to increase the district’s revenue limit, while 20 will ask for permanent (or recurring) authority to increase the district’s revenue limit. In addition, there will 30 borrowing referendums on the ballot across the state. Borrowing referendums ask voters for approval to issue bonds for major construction, remodeling or maintenance projects for school facilities. read more…
Over 1/3 of Assembly Dems are likely leaving after this session
Rep. Kristina Shelton, ranking member of the Assembly education committee, announces she will not seek re-election
OSS: Ask your senators to support continued OSS funding, digital mapping data grants available
Assembly adjourns for the session, passing bills impacting school boards
After a long day that continued well into the night, the Assembly convened for what is expected to be the last time this session. It was a day filled with emotion, with lawmakers receiving the State of the Tribes Address prior to the start of proceedings, and several representatives giving farewell speeches on the floor. That did not get in the way of a busy calendar day however. The chamber took action on several bills impacting school boards.
The Assembly voted on a number of proposals ranging from school safety measures, to teacher licensing and preparatory programs, to local campaign finance changes, to a bill amending certain aspects of Act 20’s timeline. In our previous post we reported that AB 1069/SB 990, which as amended makes the first administration of the new statewide reading screener in the 2024-25 school year optional, had stalled in the Assembly. SB 990 had previously passed the state Senate with the screener amendment. It was subsequently added to the Assembly calendar for yesterday (2/22) as a special order of business. The Assembly late last night added a new amendment (Assembly Amendment 1) that made changes to the training providers portion of the bill. SB 990 was approved as amended (with the screener language intact) and sent back to the Senate for concurrence in the new amendment. The Senate is expected to meet again in mid March. read more…
Amended legislation to delay reading screener/allow CESAs to provide literacy training appears stalled in Assembly
The Senate will be holding a full chamber session today (February 20th) to vote on numerous bills, including several that directly affect K-12 education. The chamber will be mirroring much of the Assembly’s action that is planned for later in the day. While the Senate is expected to meet a few more times into mid-March, the Assembly will be meeting for the final time on Thursday (February 22nd). This means that any action taken today by the Senate, that has not previously been approved by the Assembly, will face tough odds of making it to the governor’s desk.
One of the bills that is up on the Senate floor calendar (Senate Bill 990) would allow CESAs to provide early literacy training required as part of 2023 Act 20. This bill had an amendment added that makes the first administration of the new statewide reading screener in the 2024-25 school year optional so schools have enough time to train staff, set up IT and other prep work. It had come to our attention from multiple school administrators that there is strong concern and uncertainty in the timeline for acquisition of the statewide screener and whether there will be sufficient time for schools to implement it in time for the 2024-25 school year. This amendment is needed to make the timeline more manageable and increase the likelihood for successful implementation of the new statewide reading screener.
Since the Assembly will be wrapping up their work for the 2023-24 legislative session, it is very important that the Assembly Bill 1069 (Assembly companion to SB 990 with identical language/amendment) make it to the Assembly floor this week. It is currently not noticed for Tuesday or Thursday. It is our understanding that vendors are objecting to CESAs being allowed to compete with them to provide training to schools on early literacy. If you share these concerns and support this amended bill, it is vitally important to contact your state Assembly Rep. ASAP.
Other education bills being voted on in the Senate today are below. Read the WASB’s previous blog post for more information on the Assembly session. read more…