The Latest

More families may be eligible to participate in Wisconsin’s Choice programs, thanks to a change in unemployment documentation required by Congress under the recent COVID pandemic relief law. The American Rescue Plan Act changed the way unemployment is reflected in the 2020 Federal Adjusted Gross Income. To learn more about the changes for parents, see [...]

Many WCRIS schools that hail from Christian Schools International have been well-served by special education assistance through the All Belong Center, which is located in Michigan and is popular among religious schools there. The center will be hosting a webinar on the evidence-based practices and the resources private schools need to meet their students’ increasingly [...]

The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz will host a virtual “Jazz Informance” on Tuesday, April 13 at noon. The event’s hosts will include U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and 14-time Grammy Award-winning jazz legend Herbie Hancock. This free event will feature performances, history, and lessons on the cultural importance of jazz in America. You [...]

If you want to develop a mental health plan for your school, the Wisconsin Center for Resilient Schools (the Center) can help. Funded with federal COVID relief dollars, the Center is now open and working with schools. It uses nationally recognized resources and works with schools to implement trauma sensitive care and social emotional learning [...]

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be providing up to $9,000 for funerals of those who died from COVID-19. Tell your school community. Eligibility information can be can be found here.

The final countdown to the General election for DPI Superintendent has started and voting will begin at 7 a.m. tomorrow, April 6. After a February primary, two candidates emerged. Deb Kerr and Jill Underly will be going head-to-head on the ballot tomorrow. Parental choice has been a big talking point in the race, although the [...]

The CESA Network will be hosting a webinar on April 6 at 2 pm. The webinar will cover the EANS program deadlines, the application process, allowable uses of EANS and the CESA Product and Service Catalog. If you have any questions about your application or did not receive an application please contact the DPI’s EANS [...]

Disappointment comes with the new EANS FAQ that clarifies if windows or HVACs are allowable uses. The U.S. Department of Education’s (USED) updated FAQ states that new windows or HVAC systems are not allowed. This comes as a shock because several schools were planning to use the money to redo their HVAC systems or windows [...]

The U.S. Department of Education created a new clearinghouse to share the lessons learned from schools that have reopened. These lessons will help other schools reopen across the country. School leaders, teachers and support staff are invited to submit what they learned from operating in-person during the pandemic. Details about submissions are located on the Safer [...]

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) expands the uses of the E-rate program, but prior to the Act’s passage, the FCC was already considering altering its policies to allow e-rate technology to be used by students and staff for remote learning. See https://www.edweek.org/technology/fcc-takes-one-step-closer-to-offering-e-rate-funds-for-remote-learning-technology/2021/02. Therefore, it’s possible that this use could extend beyond the September 2023 [...]