WiRSA (Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance)
Strong Schools - Strong Communities
Public Schools Week!
From February 23-27, 2026, Wisconsin celebrates Public Schools Week, a time to acknowledge the vital role public schools play in strengthening our communities, supporting families, and preparing future leaders.
WiRSA recognizes and honors the commitment of the educators, administrators, and staff who serve students statewide. We also celebrate the daily classroom moments that foster learning, spark creativity, and create opportunities for students.
Teacher Training and Recruitment Grants available
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development is accepting applications for Teacher Training and Recruitment grants. This expanded Wisconsin Fast Forward grant program aims to recruit and prepare individuals to teach in school districts in Wisconsin with the most prevalent need.
Up to $1 million is available to 501(c)(3) or (4) nonprofits to design and implement programs that will increase the number of instructors working in low income and/or urban Wisconsin schools. Qualified Wisconsin nonprofit organizations can apply for up to $250,000 to recruit, train, and license teachers.
Applications are due 3 p.m. CST on Thursday, March 19, 2026.
Find additional information in the Grant Program Announcement and related grant program materials at the Wisconsin Fast Forward website.
Thank you for your interest in the Wisconsin Fast Forward grant program.
John Roos
Director, Office of Skills Development
Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development
When after-school programs are out of reach, kids miss more than activities
I have visited many after-school and summer programs across Wisconsin, from large urban sites to small rural schools, and what I’ve seen has stayed with me. I’ve watched students immersed in creative writing, acting and robotics. I’ve observed staff working one-on-one with kids navigating intense emotional challenges. And I’ve seen the smiles on middle schoolers’ faces as they reconnect with trusted mentors at the end of the school day. These programs are not “extras”; they provide crucial support to kids, families, and entire communities.
In this article about after-school summer programs, Daniel Gage, a consultant with the Afterschool Alliance and Wisconsin Out of School Time Alliance, identifies how Wisconsin is lagging behind national trends, the access gap, the cost of unstable funds, the benefits of after-school programs, and the opportunity to act. Click Here for the article in the Wisconsin Examiner
Ready. Set. Rural.
—2026 Call for Proposals is Open—
2026 National Forum to Advance Rural Education
October 19-21, 2026 | San Antonio, Texas
The Call for Proposals is now open for the 2026 National Forum to Advance Rural Education—the nation’s premier conference focused on advancing opportunity and innovation in rural schools and communities.
Hosted by the National Rural Education Association (NREA) in partnership with the Texas Rural Education Association, the Forum brings together rural educators, school and district leaders, higher education faculty, researchers, policymakers, and community partners from across the country.
2026 Theme: Ready, Set, Rural: Creating Opportunity Everywhere
This year’s theme celebrates the readiness, resilience, and resourcefulness of rural communities—and the power of education to create pathways for learners of all ages.
What’s New for 2026: Rural Innovation & Impact Showcase Competition
A new national competition spotlighting proven, rural-centered innovations with measurable impact. Finalists will present live at the Forum, with the winning initiative receiving a $5,000 award.
3 Ways to Present
1. Learning Sessions highlighting innovative practice
2. Research Sessions advancing rural education research
3. Rural Innovation & Impact Showcase Competition
Proposals Due: March 27, 2026
Bring your ideas. Share your impact.
Join us in San Antonio for #RuralEdForum 2026.
New this year is our third day's Innovation & Impact Showcase!
We are inviting K-12 schools who are doing amazing working their rural communities that is moving the needle to apply.
The Top Five applications will be able to pitch their innovation on that third day and be eligible for winning a grant prize of $5,000!
The information on the application process is attached and the link to the Cvent site is here: Home - 2026 National Forum to Advance Rural Education
The Senate has a total of more than 180 bills that cleared the Assembly and can consider during the final floor period of the session next month.
The Assembly finished its general floor work for the session; any bill that has passed the Assembly could still potentially reach the governor's desk. However, bills that have been stalled in the Senate for a significant time are less likely to advance.
The Senate is scheduled to meet again on March 17th, offering a final opportunity to consider some of these bills. Bills that have only passed the Senate will not move forward, as the time for Assembly action has expired.
As the legislative session nears its conclusion, these are the education bills that have only passed one chamber.
The Assembly adjourned pursuant to SJR-1 on Friday night. Speaker Vos has been very vocal about the fact he did not intend to have session past the scheduled February period. He told several media outlets that leadership is still working on a tax proposal and a Special Session (called by the Governor) or an Extraordinary Session (called by the Legislature) is possible if a deal is reached.
The Senate plans to be in session on Tuesday, March 17 for its final day of regular session.
According to the Legislative Calendar, the regular floor period ends on March 19. There is a session available April 14-16 for limited business, and May 12-13 is available for a veto review session.
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY
The Senate would have to pass these bills in the reserved March 17-19 floor period for them to get these to the governors desk.
Any bill preceded by a double asterisk (**) has been approved by a Senate Committee for passage in that chamber, and could be scheduled to the floor without any additional committee action. Those preceded by a double tilde (~~) have received a public hearing in a Senate committee. These bills would still need approval for passage by the Senate committee before coming to the floor. Those without any marking preceding it have received no Senate action thus far. We are providing this information to give members an idea of how likely it could be for a given proposal to make it through the Senate still this session.
AB 3: Incorporating cursive writing into the state model English language arts standards and requiring cursive writing in elementary grades.
AB 4: Required instruction in civics in the elementary and high school grades, high school graduation requirements, and private school educational program criteria.
AB 6: Requiring a school board to spend at least 70 percent of its operating expenditures on direct classroom expenditures and annual pay increases for school administrators.
AB 58: Flags flown, hung, or displayed from a flagpole or the exterior of state and local buildings and eliminating a related administrative rule.
AB 91: The requirement that first class cities and first class city school districts place school resource officers in schools.
**AB 98: Pupils wearing traditional tribal regalia at a graduation ceremony or school-sponsored event.
**AB 101: Requiring school districts to report information related to American Indian children attending school in the school district.
**AB 109: A lifetime license that authorizes an individual to teach an American Indian language in an American Indian language program and modifying rules promulgated by the Department of Public Instruction.
**AB 156: Requiring child sexual abuse prevention education.
**AB 226: Prohibiting school boards and independent charter schools from providing ultra-processed foods in free or reduced-price meals.
**AB 362: Requiring cardiac emergency response plans for cardiac emergencies that occur on school property or at school-sponsored athletic events.
**AB 393: School bus operation by drivers over 70 and drivers with medical conditions.
AB 460: Pupil eligibility for parental choice programs based upon participation by a sibling or a dependent child of the pupil’s parent or guardian.
~~AB 530: The operation of drones over school property and providing a penalty.
~~AB 561: Owner liability for illegally passing a school bus and providing a penalty.
~~AB 564: Allowing chiropractors to perform school employee health examinations.
**AB 582: Dual enrollment programs, creating the Council on Dual Enrollment, and transfer of postsecondary course credits.
AB 613: Notifying parents if a pupil is removed from the classroom.
~~AB 664: Serving margarine as a substitute for butter in certain circumstances.
**AB 749: Instruction in blood and organ donation in high school grades.
~~AB 803: Workforce training grants.
AB 918: Required subjects in a human growth and development instructional program.
**AB 933: Updating references to PI 34 of the administrative code and eliminating an obsolete grandfather provision related to a license to teach industrial arts (suggested as remedial legislation by the Department of Public Instruction).
AB 948: Policies to prohibit the use of wireless communication devices during the school day in public schools.
AB 998: Recommendations made by the council on early literacy curricula.
AB 1003: The voluntary surrender of a license issued by the Department of Public Instruction during an investigation of immoral conduct, prohibited agreements related to information related to an investigation of immoral conduct, and records related to an investigation of immoral conduct.
AB 1004: Prohibiting education employers from entering into certain agreements related to information about alleged immoral conduct by an employee and civil immunity for information provided to a prospective employer.
Wisconsin’s legislative session ended Friday without taking action on public school funding.
Wisconsin Examiner - In final State of the State, Evers urges lawmakers to keep working, rejects GOP tax cut plan
Wisconsin Examiner - GOP leaders propose tax relief compromise that leaves out money for general school aid
Consolidation Package
The following bills all passed the Assembly 11/19/25 via a party line vote (all GOP in favor, all DEM opposed), except for AB 645 which received one Democrat’s support. The Senate companion bills have not yet received a public hearing in the Senate Committee on Education.
AB 644: State aid for consolidated school districts.
AB 645: Grants for feasibility studies of school district consolidation or whole grade sharing.
AB 646: Requiring a school district consolidation study.
AB 647: Whole grade sharing grants for school boards.
AB 648: Supplemental state aid for consolidated school districts.
AB 649: Supplemental funding for whole grade sharing grants, supplemental state aid for consolidated school districts, grants for feasibility studies of school district consolidation or whole grade sharing, and making an appropriation.
PASSED THE SENATE
Due to the Assembly concluding its general session business for the year, these proposals are now dead.
SB 41: School safety grants and making an appropriation.
SB 69: An income tax subtraction for certain expenses paid by a school teacher.
SB 194: Obtaining attorney fees and costs under the state’s public records law when an authority voluntarily or unilaterally releases a contested record after an action has been filed in court.
New Wisconsin Fast Forward grant now available
A new grant opportunity is available from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development's Office of Skills Development. Under the Wisconsin Fast Forward (WFF) program the grant opportunity funds innovative and collaborative customized worker training programs in all industry sectors.
Key features of the program:
Grants are available to companies of any size in all industry sectors.
Award amounts range from $5,000 to $400,000. A consortium of employers may apply for more than $400,000.
Cash or in-kind match equal to 50% of the grant award amount is required.
Grantees must complete training of at least 85% of the contracted number of trainees.
At least 65% of trainees must be placed in positions with placement partners in the grant application that require skills taught in the training.
At least 75% of incumbent trainees must receive increased wages.
Applications are due by 3 p.m. CST on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026.
Find additional information or apply on the WFF website.
Thank you for your continued interest in the WFF grant program.
John Roos
Director, Office of Skills Development
Department of Workforce Development
(608) 733-3918
Appropriations Update
On Tuesday, Congress passed a bipartisan, bicameral Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) funding package, along with 4 other spending bills and a two-week stopgap for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to give Congress more time to negotiate reforms for immigration enforcement. We have a breakdown of the LHHS bill on The Leading Edge blog.
Amid the DHS negotiations, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries issued a letter outlining their priorities. Of interest to district leaders, they ask for Congress to protect sensitive locations and prohibit enforcement activities near certain areas, including schools. The DHS stopgap bill expires on February 13.
ED Issues FY26 Small, Rural School Achievement Program Application Notice
This week, the Department of Education issued a notice of application deadline for FY26 Small, Rural School Achievement Program—one of the grant programs within the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP). The applications will be available until April 13, 2026 and the deadline to submit is May 18, 2026. The Department will send an email with a unique application link to each local education agency (LEA) that is eligible and estimated to receive a positive allocation ( i.e., an estimated amount greater than $0.00) for an FY 2026 SRSA grant award. The Master Eligibility Spreadsheet, which lists each LEA eligible to apply for FY 2026 SRSA or RLIS funds, should be available here soon. This announcement indicates that the Department has returned to its standard timeline for the program following last year’s delayed application.
Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) Training Sessions
OSS will be providing opportunities statewide for BTAM training in 2026. Dates and locations are listed below. Registration links are also available on the OSS website Training Opportunities page. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our Threat Assessment Specialist, Sue Williams, at Susan.Williams@wisdoj.gov.
Friday, February 13 – Necedah Area School District – Necedah
Friday, February 27 – CESA 3 – Fennimore
Monday, March 2 (part 1) and Tuesday, March 10 (part 2) – Virtual
Friday, March 13 – Location TBD – Antigo
Wednesday, April 8 – Mosinee School District – Mosinee
Wednesday, April 22 – Mosaic Technologies Training Center – Cameron
Thursday, June 11 – Menasha High School – Menasha
2026 Annual Safety and Security Conference
If you're registered, we look forward to seeing you!
If you're not registered, there's still time.
In partnership with the WJOA, we have a great conference planned to include breakout sessions, featured speakers, and exhibitors that specialize in school safety and security. Please forward this email on to others that may benefit from the opportunity to attend the conference.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
The WiRSA board has made scholarship changes
The scholarships for both our general WiRSA scholarship and our pre-teacher scholarship have increased to $1000, and the selection committee will evaluate applicants' video presentations.
General WiRSA Scholarship
The scholarship will be awarded annually to one graduating high school senior from each of the four membership regions of Wisconsin, as specified in the organization’s bylaws. An additional at-large scholarship will be awarded to the next-highest-scoring applicant. Each recipient will receive a one-time cash scholarship of $1000 to be used by the student to help defray the costs of post-secondary education and related expenses. A video of the applicant addressing the following information is required for the application. Consideration will be given to professionalism, communication, and content. The video should be limited to 5 minutes.
What are the benefits of attending a rural school?
Why are you choosing the field of teacher education?
What is the value of growing up in a rural community, and what personal values have you gained from your experience?
SENIOR - Post-Secondary Teacher Education Scholarship Details
The scholarship will be awarded annually to one graduating high school senior from each of the four membership regions of Wisconsin, as specified in the organization’s bylaws. An additional at-large scholarship will be awarded to the next-highest-scoring applicant. Each recipient will receive a one-time cash scholarship of $1000 to be used by the student to help defray the costs of post-secondary education and related expenses. A video of the applicant addressing the following information is required for the application. Consideration will be given to professionalism, communication, and content. The video should be limited to 5 minutes.
What are the benefits of attending a rural school?
Why are you choosing the field of teacher education?
What is the value of growing up in a rural community, and what personal values have you gained from your experience?
