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Stoughton board hears state and federal education developments, from proposed testing rollback to grant fights
Summary
District staff summarized federal grant uncertainty, litigation over terminated Education Department grants, and several state bills under consideration including device-use policies, a testing-accountability rollback, parent-notification measures and proposals affecting pronouns and athletics.
Lisa, a district staff member leading the legislative update, briefed the Stoughton Area School District Board of Education on federal and state developments affecting K–12 funding and policy.
The update noted what Lisa described as “the current administration is cutting half of its workforce and also, stopping some federal grants,” and she said an Education Department map shows Stoughton receives federal funds and that DPI reports federal funds equal about 5 percent of the district’s revenue limit and that 14 percent of full‑time educators are supported by U.S. Department of Education funding. Lisa also said DPI figures list total federal funds to Stoughton (Department of Education and Department of Agriculture) as “$1,000,000.777313.”
The significance: board members were told the immediate risk to district programs is uncertain while litigation and state political decisions are unfolding. Lisa said Wisconsin’s attorney general has joined a multistate coalition suing the Education Department over terminated K–12 grant funding, and Governor Tony Evers issued a supporting statement.
At the state level, Lisa summarized several bills moving through Senate and Assembly education committees. She said committees recently held hearings and in some cases passed measures to the full chamber. Items she identified included: - A bill that would require school boards to adopt policies restricting student access to personal devices during instructional time; local boards and the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) have urged local control over such policies. - Legislation to reset state report card standards to the 2019–20 baseline; Lisa said the full Senate was scheduled to vote and that Governor Evers has indicated he would veto that measure because he sees it as infringing on the independence of the Department of Public Instruction and the state superintendent. - An assembly-passed parent-notification bill that would require schools to notify parents when there is a report that their child is the victim of sexual assault by school staff; WASB expressed concerns about the statute’s timelines and feasibility for districts. - An assembly proposal requiring the Milwaukee Public Schools district to provide and pay for 25 police officers; Lisa noted that measure would not affect other districts. - A set of bills the Assembly education committee advanced on partisan votes restricting staff use of pronouns without parental permission and prohibiting transgender girls from competing on girls’ teams.
Lisa also cited a March 5 Marquette Law School poll showing 58 percent of respondents are satisfied with public schools and that 76 percent favor a major increase in special education funding. In budget process remarks, she said joint finance committee hearing dates are pending and warned that competing priorities (including the Republican leaders’ desire for a separate tax cut) could delay a final state budget; if delayed, school funding typically continues at prior-year levels.
Board members asked clarifying questions; none moved formal action on these items. The presentation concluded with staff noting the district will monitor litigation and state committee activity and report back as bills move toward final votes.
