This past July, Kirk Strang spoke about the many facets of school district governance at WASDA’s Summer Legal Seminar.
In this series, we’re recapping all eight of Kirk’s major talking points. So if you missed the presentation, or need a refresher on one or more of the topics, you will find everything you need here.
In Part 1 of the series, Kirk spoke all about school district governance and enacted Wisconsin legislation. In Part 2, we’re shifting our focus to proposed Wisconsin legislation.
Before we dive into proposed Wisconsin legislation, here’s a brief overview of the entire series …
School District Governance:
- Part 1: New Laws Enacted
- Part 2: New Laws Proposed
- Part 3: Developments in Federal & Constitutional Law
- Part 4: Annual Meeting (School Board)
- Part 5: Employee Handbooks
- Part 6: Student Handbooks/Codes of Conduct
- Part 7: Vendor Contracts — Legal Capacity to Contract
- Part 8: Vendor Contract Clauses — Specifics to Examine & More
PROPOSED WISCONSIN LEGISLATION
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2023 Assembly Bill 435 / Senate Bill 429.
This proposed bill would allow public schools to start fall classes on the Monday before Labor Day (as opposed to September 1 under current law), beginning in the 2024-25 school year. If the public school starts classes before Labor Day, the school must be closed on the Friday before Labor Day. Additionally, this proposed bill would continue to allow school boards to submit requests to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to allow the school to commence the fall term prior to the Monday preceding Labor Day.
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2023 Assembly Bill 517 / Senate Bill 511.
Under this proposed bill, school boards would be required to pay their teachers an annual base salary equivalent to the annual salary paid to a state legislator. This proposed bill would also require school boards to pay teachers with a minimum of 10 years’ experience the base salary plus $15,000; school boards would be required to pay teachers with 20 years’ experience an annual salary no less than $100,000.
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2023 Assembly Bill 522 / Senate Bill 497.
This proposed bill would require school boards to pay their student teachers a minimum hourly wage of $15. The proposed bill would also require the Department of Public Instruction to reimburse school boards on an annual basis for the cost of paying student teachers during the preceding school year.
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2023 Assembly Bill 551 / Senate Bill 571.
This proposed bill would provide certain rights and protections to public school student journalists regarding freedom of speech and of the press in school-sponsored media. The proposed bill requires school boards to adopt a policy related to student journalists exercising these freedoms, including an appeal process for students. Additionally, under the proposed bill, student journalists and media advisors may bring a civil action in circuit court to enforce the rights established within the bill.
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2023 Assembly Bill 638 / Senate Bill 606.
This proposed bill would require a school board to comply with a school district resident’s request to inspect a textbook, curriculum, or instructional material no later than 14 days after the school board receives the written request. This proposed bill would also require a school board to adopt procedures under which the school board would be able to produce for inspection any requested textbooks, curricula, or instructional materials.
PROPOSED WISCONSIN ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
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Clearinghouse Rule 24-026
This proposed rule expands the number of qualifying events that would permit or encourage a school board to request a school year commencement date prior to September 1. Under this proposed rule, a school board could determine that an earlier start date would improve student achievement and address academic needs, as evidenced by student graduation rates, student attendance, and the mental health needs of students and staff. This proposed rule also extends the deadline for school boards to submit a written request until March 1.
In the next part of our series, we’ll continue diving into school district governance — this time focusing on developments in federal and constitutional law.
Until then, you may find the following articles of interest: