The following news is from the Council for American Private Education’s (CAPE) most recent issue of Outlook. WCRIS is the official state chapter for CAPE. Oral Arguments Heard in Landmark Case The US Supreme Court, in December, heard oral arguments in the case Carson v Makin. It challenges anti-religious legislation that bars many private schools [...]
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Grant Opportunities for Schools
January 13, 2022
Leaders with Innovative New School Ideas The Drexel Fund is looking for Wisconsin school leaders who have successful and innovative school programs they want to grow or replicate. Anyone interested should attend an informational session on February 22 at 5 pm at the Center for Urban Teaching in Milwaukee. Information can be found here. Invent2Prevent [...]
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Court Rules for WI Private Schools in Busing Case
January 06, 2022
The New Year rang in with a victory in federal court for private schools over a question of the transportation attendance area rule in state law. It has long been held that a school of the same denomination as another local private school can not have the same attendance areas for busing. Meaning that a [...]
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WCRIS Spring Lunch & Learn Events
January 06, 2022
Thanks to principals’ feedback and positive responses to our Fall virtual workshops, WCRIS is excited to offer the following topics for our Spring semester Lunch & Learn series. These online sessions will last less than an hour. Attend any or all that you like: Special Needs Scholarship Program Overview | January 19 at 1:30 pm [...]
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Dept. Of Education Seeking School Ambassador Fellowship Applications
January 06, 2022
The US Department of Education (ED) is still accepting applications for the School Ambassador Fellowship Applications through January 14. Teachers who have made a great impact in their classroom and have demonstrated leadership qualities are encouraged to apply. Teacher fellows will work with ED to help improve education at a federal level. You can learn [...]
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Merry Christmas
December 17, 2021
It is hard to not dwell on the past and the struggles that many of you have faced over the past two years. That is why it is important to remember that this Christmas season is about hope and joy. WCRIS is hopeful for the new semester and looks forward to working with each of [...]
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How to Handle Incomplete Safety Plans
December 15, 2021
Question: What if I don’t have all the information the DOJ requires in a safety plan or my local law enforcement has not yet approved of the plan and our school is getting ready to close for the holidays and leadership won’t be available until after the legal January 1 deadline? Answer: Submit what you [...]
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School Safety Plan Submission Per 2017 Act 143
December 09, 2021
As a reminder, schools are required to submit their school safety information to the Wisconsin Department of Justice Office of School Safety by January 1. A list of what is required can be found on page 67 of the 2020-21 WCRIS Legal Handbook or on the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s website.
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New Law Adds Options to Safety Submissions
December 09, 2021
Governor Evers signed into law 2021 Act 109 on December 3, which provides schools an additional option when submitting their information under the 2017 Act 143 requirements. The law now allows schools to submit “critical incident mapping data” instead of a school blueprint. As always, blueprints do not have to be formal architectural drawings. The [...]
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State’s COVID Relief Application Approved
December 09, 2021
The US Department of Education has approved Wisconsin’s American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief plan. This is commonly called ARP-ESSER fund. Or, a shorthand name is ESSER II. However, those funds only cover public K-12 schools. By design. Congress did not include in ARP-ESSER any private school equitable participation provision. The money [...]
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