WiRSA (Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance) - Strong Schools - Strong Communities
WiRSA Conference 2026
”Celebrating Innovation and Resilience”
The 2026 WiRSA Conference Planning Committee has been working hard to create a great conference that supports the needs of rural and town areas. This year's theme is "Celebrating Innovation and Resilience." Participants will have the opportunity to learn and grow. Additionally, the connections you make through collaboration at the conference will benefit our schools, students, and communities. We look forward to seeing you at the WiRSA Conference!
WiRSA Conference Registration- OPEN NOW!
Thursday, October 29 & Friday, October 30, 2026
Welcome Reception
Wednesday, October 28, 2026 - 6:00 p.m.
Stevens Point Convention Center - Stevens Point, WI
A conference for administrators, board members, teachers, CESA employees, higher education professionals, public library administrators, elected officials, and citizens passionate about rural school and community issues.
WiRSA Conference Room Reservations - OPEN NOW!
Rate: $101.00 Single Occupancy State Rate - $124.00 Double Occupancy State Rate
Guests can book their reservations online 24 hours a day by using the following link: Holiday Inn Express: WiRSA Conference 2026
Making reservations over the phone, please call 715-344-0200 and press #1. When making reservations, please reference the group name, WiRSA Conference 2026, or the Group Block Code: WIR.
Group rate will be available until 09/28/2026 (or until the block is full). Remaining rooms in your will be released for general reservations at the hotel's prevailing daily rate, which may be higher than your group rate.
BOOK YOUR ROOM TODAY!
WiRSA Conference - CALL FOR PROPOSALS
“Celebrating Innovation & Resilience” focuses on how rural schools thrive by responding to challenges and limitations with creative solutions. Breakout sessions will align with one of the following tracks:
Resource Management & Collaboration: Strategies for utilizing limited resources; managing budgets; addressing declining enrollment; and responding to community needs, such as school-sponsored child care or health care/mental health partnerships.
Technology & Future Readiness: Focusing on emerging technologies, preparing students for a workforce shaped by AI, and leveraging AI tools for school leaders.
Educational Pathways & Programs: Highlighting innovative educational programs and effective classroom practices, including Academic and Career Planning (ACP), high school pathways, dual credit options, and the development of partnerships with higher education and businesses.
Proposals are due by Friday, June 26, 2026
March 4, 2026 Lawmakers Could Reduce Property Taxes Amid School Funding Crisis By Dan Rossmiller - Press Release
“Several years ago, I had the honor and privilege of being appointed, along with various education experts, to serve on the 16-member Blue Ribbon Commission on School Funding created by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and then-Senate Majority Leader (now Congressman) Scott Fitzgerald.”
“Fast forward to 2026. Every single year since these recommendations were released in 2019, the Legislature has failed to increase revenue limits by an amount that would keep pace with inflation. It has utterly ignored these recommendations.”
NREA Partners with SchoolSims for “Lead Where You Are” Webinar Series
Rural districts are not small versions of big systems. They are different systems with different constraints and different strengths. This three part NREA x SchoolSims webinar series is designed for rural and small district leaders who are building strong people systems with limited capacity. We will focus on practical, rural ready strategies for recruiting and selecting staff, strengthening onboarding and support, improving retention, and building sustainable structures that protect culture and reduce leader burnout. The series is offered at no cost to NREA members.
Session – April 23, 2026 at 2pm CST
Register here: Small District Budget Crisis
In this webinar we will explore some of the key challenges in navigating the district budgeting process. Often, the challenge begins with understanding the context and underlying Tradeoffs that are at play – finding the balance between the needs of specific community members while deciding what is in the best interest of students. At the same time needing to determine to what degree you can balance transparency and confidentiality. During the Webinar, participants will engage in a simulation that places them as a new Superintendent taking over a small school district that happens to be the primary employer in the community. When a budget shortfall is discovered, participants, as the Superintendent, must decide which resources to involve in the resolution while balancing transparency and strategy among key constituencies. They will need to decide which conditions warrant more persistence versus flexibility while keeping the focus on students.
Session – May 28, 2026 at 2pm CST
Register here: Political Leadership in the Superintendency
The goal of this Webinar is to help aspiring and sitting superintendents to explore a Political Leadership Framework to hone their skills so that they can more effectively lead change through complexity. We will share the Framework and then engage in a Superintendent level Simulation to challenge participants with various scenarios that require them to engage in the following proactive political leadership skills: visioning, communicating, political mapping, mobilizing and relationships building, while gaining and sustaining public trust and internal support. The central issue in the simulation exercise focuses on a district’s discipline policy and its relationship with school safety—an issue that nearly all superintendents will encounter throughout their career.
Agenda Announced
Calling all rural and small-town community champions!
Join us in Green Lake, May 13-15, for a conference packed with practical tools, real-world examples, and fresh ideas to strengthen your community’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Featuring a special keynote from Craig Culver, Co-Founder of Culver Franchising System, Inc.
Click Here for More Information or to Register
Wed. May 13 - Welcome Reception at the American Legion Hall Music, appetizers, and early sign‑ups for the Escapade Yacht cruise
Thu. May 14 - Registration & Trade Show with kringle and coffee to kick off the morning
Opening Plenary featuring remarks from Dr. Tessa Conroy and WEDC CEO John Miller
Morning Breakout Sessions including:
Entrepreneurial Ecosystem 101, a hands‑on mapping and strategy session with Raina Lyman, Senior Director of Economic Development, Envision Fond du Lac and Craig Tebon, Executive Director, Ripon Main Street, Inc.
Framework for Starting a Business with Chad Kopitzke, Director, Small Business Development Center/UW-Oshkosh
Stories from Green Lake Business Mentoring Session, featuring Loni Meiborg, Owner of Scoot's Cafe, Matt Trotter, Owner of Horseradish Kitchen & Market, Kaleb Ranker, Owner of KDR Wood Design
Business Placemaking Tour with Todd Barman, Downtown Development Specialist, UW Madison Extension
Lunch at Local Restaurants using attendee meal tickets, including Scoot's Cafe, Adam's Rib, Goose Blind Bar & Grill, Murphy's on Green, Heidel House Waves Pub
Afternoon Breakouts including:
How to Finance Your Local Entrepreneurial Ecosystem with Angie Close, Exec. Director, Langlade County Economic Development Corporation (EDC), Sara Guild, Exec. Director, Lincoln County EDC, Olivia Otte, Exec. Director, Green County Development Corporation, Stephanie Hoskins, Chair, Lakeland University Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
BAIL: Banker, Accountant, Insurance Agent, Lawyer with Isabella Sgriccia, Kiva Capital Access Manager, Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation, Jeff Glazer, Attorney & Clinical Professor, Law & Entrepreneurship, University of Wisconsin Law School, Cassidy Wilbourne, Vice President, Small Business Relationship Manager, Associated Bank, Claire Skivington-Green, Attorney, Athena Legal Solutions
Weaving Together Arts, Civic, and Economic Vitality & Vibrancy with Anne Katz, Executive Director, Create Wisconsin
Fri. May 15 - Light Breakfast and morning networking.
Breakout Sessions, including:
Downtown Revitalization Workshop with Dr. Choton Basu, Professor of Information Technology & Supply Chain Management (ITSCM), and Sam Walton Fellow, UW-Whitewater
How to Foster a Regional Entrepreneurial Ecosystem featuring speakers from NEW North, Progress Lakeshore Manitowoc County & Wisconsin Business Development
The Future Wisconsin Competitiveness Report with Kurt Bauer, CEO, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce
Surviving Seasonal Swings for tourist‑town businesses with Susan D’Arcy, Owner of Johnson and Black, Beth Bosveld, Owner of GEAR, Barb Berg, Owner of Indigo B'lu
Grant Ready, Not Grant Overwhelmed: A Practical Path to Funding Success with Hillary Tweed, Vice President, Minnesota Community Support Program, Community Economic Development Associates
The Three Most Common Pitfalls of a New Business Venture and the Knuth’s Brewery Success Story with Richard Gerstein, Founder, brandCHARGE and Dave Knuth, Founder, Knuth Brewing Company
Passing the Pitchfork: Farm-Based Business Success & Succession with Mia Ljung, UW Madison Extension, Shelly Rothman, Executive Director, Foxhead Regenerative Agriculture Project, Tracy Vinz, Olden Organics, Ryan Prellwitz, Vines & Rushes Winery
Closing Plenary featuring keynote speaker Craig Culver, Co-Founder Culver Franchising System, Inc.
Boxed Lunch To‑Go from Crossroads Market and an optional Escapade Yacht Tour
Executive Session - Senate Committee on Education, 10:00 am, Fri, Mar 6, Paper Ballot
AB-460 Parental Choice (Duchow, Cindi) Pupil eligibility for parental choice programs based upon participation by a sibling or a dependent child of the pupil's parent or guardian.
SB-452 Parental Choice (Jagler, John) Pupil eligibility for parental choice programs based upon participation by a sibling or a dependent child of the pupil's parent or guardian.
AB-918 Human Development Instruction (Summerfield, Rob) Required subjects in a human growth and development instructional program.
SB-887 Human Development Instruction (Jacque, Andre) Required subjects in a human growth and development instructional program.
AB-948 Wireless Prohibition (Brill, Lindee Rae) Policies to prohibit the use of wireless communication devices during the school day in public schools.
AB-998 Early Literacy (Wittke, Robert) Recommendations made by the council on early literacy curricula.
AB-1004 Confidentiality Agreements (Nedweski, Amanda) 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.
SB-972 Early Literacy (Marklein, Howard) Recommendations made by the council on early literacy curricula.
SB-957 Wireless Prohibition (Cabral-Guevara, Rachael) Policies to prohibit the use of wireless communication devices during the school day in public schools.
SB-1000 Confidentiality Agreements (James, Jesse) 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.
Interagency Agreement (IAA) Update
On February 23, the U.S. Department of Education announced two additional Interagency Agreements (IAAs). AASA continues to anticipate additional IAAs that would move the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services out of the Department of Education, as well as transfer the Office of Civil Rights to the U.S. Department of Justice. Read more about this update on The Leading Edge blog.
AASA Urges Congress to Reinstate Protections for Sensitive Locations
Amid the ongoing negotiations in Congress on the FY26 Department of Homeland Security spending bill, AASA sent a letter to Congress urging them to include policy provisions that reinstate protections for sensitive locations and prohibit immigration enforcement on or near school grounds in the final package. Read the letter here.
RESOURCES:
Special Education Enrollment Keeps Growing. These 3 Graphics Show How.
The number of students with disabilities ages 3-21 who qualify for special education services in the U.S. rose 3.8% — or by 301,991 students — in 2024 when compared to the year before, according to federal data analyzed by The Advocacy Institute, a nonprofit that works to improve the lives of people with disabilities. Coverage on K-12 Dive.
Parents Favor Free Tutoring, Summer Camp, Open Enrollment … Annual Testing? Not So Much
A new survey from 50CAN finds strong parent support for free tutoring and Education Savings Accounts, but significantly lower support for annual testing, highlighting varied views on key education policies.
K-2 Suspensions Were Recently Banned in Nebraska. Now, Lawmakers Want to Go Back
Several states, including Nebraska, Minnesota, and Texas, are reconsidering bans on suspending K-2 students, citing concerns about school safety and the need to prompt parental involvement in addressing behavioral issues.
Why Media Literacy Efforts Are Failing to Keep Up With Misinformation
EducationWeek reports on a recent study finding that both students and educators lack adequate support to navigate today’s media landscape, even as students express a strong desire for more opportunities to discuss current events with their peers.
Heritage Calls for Every State to Challenge Plyler v Doe
In a new report, the Heritage Foundation argues that the United States Supreme Court should overturn the Plyler v. Doe decision that has been in place since 1982, asserting that states should instead be allowed to exclude undocumented students from public education.
75,000 Undocumented Students Graduate High School Each Year. What Happens Next?
New analysis of U.S. Census and graduation data highlights the number of undocumented students graduating each year and raises concerns about their postsecondary pathways as access to college supports comes under threat.
Conservatives Want Schools to Teach this Strict Life Path They Say Avoids Poverty
The Washington Post reports on bills in at least seven GOP-led states that would require lessons on the “success sequence": graduate from high school, find a full-time job, and get married before having kids. Critics say it ignores systemic challenges and stigmatizes non-traditional families.
Policy Intelligence and Education News
Wisconsin School Safety Coordinators Association
State Tax Burden & Ranking Remain Low
Wisconsin’s state and local tax burden fell slightly in 2023 to a new all-time low, driven by property tax limits, strong income growth, and modest income tax cuts. Over the last quarter-century, Wisconsin has gone from one of the nation’s highest tax burdens to well below average, and has also seen its spending levels and rankings drop in areas such as K-12 education. But this major shift in policy is becoming more difficult to continue.
Funding the First Years and Beyond
State and Local Options to Raise Revenue for Child Care
The need for affordable child care has become an increasingly pressing policy issue facing families, employers, and governments. Wisconsin residents seeking to raise additional revenue to address the issue will find that they have many more levers available at the state level than the local level, which could mean more opportunity for broad-scale solutions but also fewer opportunities for local initiatives like those seen in other states.
