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District staff summarizes legislative and federal education developments including crime-reporting form and special education funding debate
Summary
District staff briefed the Stoughton Area School District Board of Education on state and federal developments, including DPI guidance under Act 12 for reporting crimes on school property and debate over special-education funding in the state budget process.
District staff provided a legislative update summarizing state and federal activity that could affect Stoughton Area School District operations and funding.
The update, given by district staff (identified in the meeting as Lisa), highlighted several items: a DPI crime-reporting requirement under 2023 Act 12; a DPI form covering July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025 that districts will receive; state budget projections and a reported $4.3 billion surplus offset by expected lower tax collections; pending Assembly and Senate bills on school food ingredients and instructional-material inspections; and the Office of School Safety’s summer training offerings for districts.
On crime reporting, staff said DPI issued guidance and a form to collect incidents that occur on school or district property; districts must complete the form for the 07/01/2024–06/30/2025 reporting year. On funding and budget posture, staff said the state fiscal bureau sent estimates indicating the state still shows a $4,300,000,000 surplus but expects tax collections to be down by about $335,000,000 over the next two years, which will shape Joint Finance Committee deliberations.
Staff described a bill that had an Assembly Education Committee hearing (AB 226) that would prohibit schools from providing certain food ingredients in meals served through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs; the draft language does not prevent private vendors from serving those ingredients on school premises.
The update noted Senate committee action on a package of bills, including measures on military recruiter access to high schools and a bill requiring districts to make textbooks and instructional materials available for inspection by residents. The Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) sent an advocacy note to encourage requests for increased special education reimbursement; staff said districts are urging the legislature to aim for about a 60% special-education reimbursement rate to reduce proration.
Staff also flagged federal developments, including the White House 2026 budget proposal and congressional discussions that could reduce Department of Education funding and alter Medicaid and SNAP rules, which could indirectly affect school services that rely on Medicaid-funded therapies and family food supports.
The Office of School Safety is offering trainings this summer on behavioral threat assessment and management, standard response protocol and reunification methods; staff noted those are being advertised to districts. Board members asked clarifying questions about the trainings and about whether the proposed special-education funding changes would increase high-cost special education reimbursement versus general special-education aid.
