Assembly Education Panel Hears Bills to Change Cut Scores, Mandate How Districts Use Funds 

The Assembly Education Committee held its first public hearings for this session. Lawmakers on the panel include just-elected representatives with close ties to public schools, WEAC member Rep. Angelina Cruz (teacher and Racine Educators United president), Rep. Joe Sheehan (former Sheboygan superintendent) and Rep. Christian Phelps (former Wisconsin Public Education Network staffer). See all the committee members, bills in committee and more. 

The bills now may be taken up for discussion and possible votes by the committee.  

Changing Assessment Standards (AB1).  This bill would change assessment standards, AKA cut scores, on school report cards to require them to align to the NAEP standards, rather than the state standards educators teach in school every day. There is no companion bill in the Senate. Moms for Liberty, Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty and voucher proponents including state superintendent candidate Brittany Kinser were among those testifying in favor. DPI Testimony 

Under the bill, beginning with report cards published for the school year in which the bill becomes law, for the index system to identify school and school district performance and improvement, also known as the accountability rating categories, DPI must use the same cut scores, score ranges, and corresponding qualitative descriptions that DPI used for report cards published in the 2019-20 school year. In addition, beginning with the WSAS administered in the school year in which the bill becomes law, DPI must do the following: 

1. For the Wisconsin Forward exam in English Language Arts and Mathematics, align cut scores, score ranges, and pupil performance categories to the cut scores, score ranges, and pupil performance categories set by the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
2. For the PreACT and ACT with Writing in English, Reading and Mathematics, use the same cut scores, score ranges, and pupil performance categories that DPI used for the same assessments administered in the 2021-22 school year. The terms “below basic,” “basic,” “proficient,” and “advanced” are required.

Cursive Writing (AB3). Requires cursive writing in elementary school as part of English Language Standards. 24 states currently incorporate cursive writing in state standards. Groups registering against include school boards, superintendents and Catholic schools. 

Civics Curriculum (AB4). Requires instruction in civics in elementary and high school as a graduation requirement, beyond current requirements which already call for students to pass the U.S. Citizenship test to graduate. Proponents said 36 other states require this additional, dedicated instruction in civics outside of what is already being taught. A proponent from the Center for Civic Education, speaking for the bill, said he wants to see more time spent on instruction, acknowledging that there are costs associated with additional staff time, professional development and the pressure for schools to prioritize reading and math given the focus on test scores. Moms for Liberty also testified for the bill, generalizing that schools used to teach civics for about an hour a day but now only teach it one day a week and expressed concern about students being allowed to retake the civics test for graduation. 

Inspect School Materials (AB5). Requires districts to comply with requests to inspect a textbook, curriculum or instructional material within 14 days. Under the bill, each school board must post a list of adopted textbooks on the school board’s website. Despite the requirements for schools to follow open records law and that districts already share their materials, proponents say districts may not be as transparent as they should be. The DPI spoke against the bill, wondering if this might be an effort to sow distrust by inferring materials are not currently available. Ed groups registering against include those representing school boards and administrators. 

70% Operation Expense Mandate (AB6). Requires districts use 70% of operation expenses for direct classroom expenditures and administrative pay or face reduction of state funding. The author of the bill said he’s bringing the bill forward to re-designate resources as a step to “solve problems” in public schools. He said the average in WI is 73%, but said “some” are not. He clarified that teacher pay is part of the direct expenditures. The author also couldn’t say if that would tie the hands of local school boards to set pay in their districts. The DPI is opposed to this, noting vague definitions and that the state already limits what districts can spend through revenue limes and that the move usurps authority of locally elected school boards. 

Other Bills We’re Watching 

Cell Phone Bans in Schools (WI AD2). Prohibits pupils from using wireless communication devices during instructional time. The bill mandates the ban for cellular phones, tablet computers, laptop computers and gaming devices. Exceptions include 1) for emergencies and perceived threats, 2) to manage a pupil’s health care, 3) for a use included in an individualized education program or 504 plan, and 4) for a use authorized by a teacher for educational purposes. The bill also authorizes a school board to include other exceptions if the school board determines that doing so is beneficial. The bill was referred to the Committee on Science, Technology, and AI, which will hold a hearing on Tuesday, Feb 11. 

Access to public high schools for military recruiters (SB 10). Mandates that recruiters have access to common areas in high schools during a school day and to school-sanctioned events. 

Youth Membership Groups (SB 11). Allows representatives of certain federally chartered youth membership groups, such as the Boy Scouts, to provide information to pupils on public school property during school hours.  

WIAA Open Records (SB 16). Prohibits a school district from being a member of an interscholastic athletic association unless the association elects to be governed by the state’s public records and open meetings laws. The bill includes exceptions for records of an interscholastic athletic association pertaining to individual referees or individual pupils.

Technical colleges’ lease of their facilities (WI SB26). This bill allows a technical college to lease its facilities to others for the operation of a child care center. 

Circulating for Co-Sponsorship: 

Blocking large referendums in some districts to be counted toward state aid (LRB-0299). This bill would block large referendum expenditures in positive tertiary aid districts from counting towards a school’s equalization aid. According to the Republican author’s, “This bill does not apply to all referendums. Instead, this bill targets referendums that would significantly draw from the pot of money that is to be shared by all school districts” and specifically mentioned Milwaukee Public Schools’ recent referendum. 

Limiting school operating referenda (LRB-0526 & 1934). Eliminates recurring operating referenda and limits a nonrecurring operating referendum to no more than four years.   

Detaining anyone alleged to be not lawfully present in the U.S. (LRB-1618 & 1688). Prohibits any official from engaging in the detention of an individual if the individual is being detained on the sole basis that the individual is or is alleged to be not lawfully present in the United States. The bill applies only to a detention that occurs in a public building or facility, school, place of worship, place where child care services are provided, or place where medical or other health care services are provided. The bill prohibits expending any moneys to aid in the detention of an individual if the individual is being detained on the sole basis that the individual is or is alleged to be not lawfully present in the United States. 

Requiring national motto in public schools and public buildings (LRB 1631 & 1025). Requires public buildings to display the national motto, “In God We Trust.”. Beginning in 2026-27 school year, the bill also requires that the national motto, “In God We Trust,” be displayed in each public school classroom, including charter school classrooms. Under current law, each school board and governing body of a private school must display the U.S. flag in the schoolroom or from a flagstaff on the school grounds during the school hours of each school day. 

Tuition and fee remission for veterans and dependents in UW and technical college (LRB 1653). This bill modifies the residency requirement for the tuition and fee remission program for certain veterans and their spouses and children enrolled in University of Wisconsin System schools and technical colleges by eliminating the five-year durational residency requirement for veterans and their spouses and children. 

See all the bills we’re watching at www.weac.org/bills  

Elections: Referendum 

93 referendum questions in 86 districts to be sent to voters this spring. The 2025 Spring election cycle is rapidly approaching this year, with the first statewide primaries to be held on February 18th and the general election following on April 1st. While the races for State Superintendent for Public Instruction and the Wisconsin Supreme Court are sure to draw attention, these are also the only two elections this year that school districts can pose referendum questions to their voters. February 18th will see five school districts to go to the ballot with five referendum questions, and April 1st will see 88 referendum questions in 81 districts. This combines for a total of 93 total questions in 86 districts. 

Elections: State Superintendent 

Primary Election is February 18. WEAC is not recommending in the February 18 primary for state superintendent. We’re sharing this comparison graphic and encouraging members to visit the candidates’ website and read interviews available in the media. 

 

11.101 communication with WEAC members.