Wisconsin

Better Know A Badger – 2025 three-star linebacker Cooper Catalano

Published

1 year ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

Better Know A Badger – 2025 three-star linebacker Cooper Catalano

MADISON, Wis. – It turned out that Luke Fickell had no reason to worry.

The University of Wisconsin head coach was hopeful that the results on the field wouldn’t cause members of his highly ranked third recruiting class to start rethinking their commitment or, worse yet, reopen their decision-making process entirely.

From the time the Badgers’ 2024 season ended without a bowl game for the first time in 23 years to the first day of the early signing period, Wisconsin’s staff only saw one prospect de-commit. Twenty-three kids signed paperwork to join Fickell’s program, a class that ranks 20th in the Rivals.com rankings with 10 four-star recruits from eight different states.

“To see guys not waver,” Fickell said. “That faith and belief that the games and what you see on Saturday isn’t everything. For those guys to hold with us and believe in us … relationships, trust, and belief in this process still win out.”

Adding to the depth in the middle of the defense, we look at the signing of Mukwonago (Wis.) High linebacker Cooper Catalano and how his addition improves the program.

Stats

Named the Wisconsin large school defensive player of the year in 2024, Catalano totaled 178 tackles, nine TFLs, three forced fumbles, and three interceptions. He finished his career with 583 tackles, obliterating the previous state record of 462 career tackles. A three-time conference defensive player of the year, Catalano earned all-conference honors during all four seasons of high school.

“The season was really successful,” Catalano said. “We had a young team my junior year. We had almost everybody returning except one of our receivers, so we had 21 players returning. To see the growth of everybody throughout the offseason was really cool. Everybody really bought in to what our coaches were preaching throughout the year. We had our leadership group that worked really hard throughout the winter and summer, and it showed throughout the season. It was a really fun right, even though it didn’t end how we wanted.

“I improved in my game is playing more in space and trusting my instincts. I was less technical in the way I looked at football and just playing loose and having fun out there … Breaking the tackle record was a really cool thing, but that takes a whole team, a great game plan, a great defensive line all four years. It’s a team effort, but that’s something that stood out to me that I’m very proud of. It’s something I’ll hold onto for a long time.”

Recruiting Competition

The third commitment in Wisconsin’s 2025 class, Catalano had offers from Illinois, Iowa State, Kansas, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Northwestern, and Stanford.

“It’s been really quiet ever since I committed,” Catalano said. “I was able to reach out to all the programs that offered me a scholarship, get on the phone with most of them to let them know how much it meant to me that they reached out but ultimately my decision was in Madison. I am happy I went about it that way.”

Recruiting Story

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Wisconsin

School debt repayment should be a priority, not deferred | Opinion

Published

7 hours ago

February 21, 2026

Press Room

School debt repayment should be a priority, not deferred | Opinion

Debt is not inherently irresponsible. Schools need safe, functional facilities. But when debt becomes permanent, it stops being a tool and starts being a constraint.

Will Flanders
| Special to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Each year, Wisconsin property taxpayers contribute more than $6.5 billion in local school levies. Those dollars are commonly understood to support classrooms, teachers and student services. In reality, a large — and growing — portion is diverted to debt service, a non-negotiable financial obligation before a single classroom dollar is spent.

In fact, the debt-service share of the local levy continues to grow, not because students are receiving more, but because past borrowing decisions increasingly dictate today’s budgets. Fortunately, at least one school district is showing that a debt free future is possible.

Statewide, nearly 18% of all local school levies — about $1.18 billion each year — are used to service debt. In practical terms, almost one out of every five local school tax dollars is unavailable for instruction or student support because it has already been committed elsewhere. Unfortunately, long-term debt has become a routine feature of school finance rather than an exception.

Looking at debt on a per-student basis makes the impact clearer. Across Wisconsin, districts levy an average of $1,483 per student each year simply to service existing debt. In districts that carry any debt at all — roughly 85% of districts statewide —that figure rises to $1,550 per student, before any money is spent in a classroom.

At the same time, Wisconsin is experiencing sustained enrollment decline, and while per-pupil revenue limits may decline with enrollment, existing district debt does not shrink when enrollment falls. The obligation stays fixed, and the burden shifts. Even if no new debt is added, fewer students are left to carry the same costs.

Over a ten-year period, a 1.5% statewide enrollment decline — far slower than the actual current rate of decline — would result in a 16% increase in per-student burden without a single new referendum, project, or improvement.

Debt-free school districts are rare

Against that backdrop, debt-free districts have become rare — especially among larger systems. Among the 100 largest school districts in Wisconsin, only four operate without any debt service levies. When the Waukesha School District retires its final obligations on April 1, 2026, it will be the largest debt-free school district in the state — by a lot.

Serving 10,600 students, Waukesha will be more than 6,000 students larger than the next-largest debt-free district. The next few —Tomah (67th), followed by Merrill Area (92nd) and Arrowhead (98th) — sit near the bottom of the top-100 by enrollment or just beyond it. No other district operating at Waukesha’s scale is debt-free.

That matters. It shows that operating without long-term debt is not a function of being small or rural. It is a function of choices: how projects are scoped, how debt is structured and whether repayment is treated as a priority rather than deferred indefinitely.

Homeowners shocked by schools’ part of tax bills

While many homeowners have been shocked to see the school portions of their property tax bills increase exponentially in recent years, Waukesha’s has declined, on average, with fluctuations that reflect the year-to-year complexity of the funding formula.

The school tax levy increased by 2.25% this past year because of shifts in state aid allocation beyond the district’s control, including millions more going to Milwaukee for passing it’s own massive referendum. While the board could have taken steps to keep the levy flat, instead, they followed through to retire debt and recognized a 26% savings on total borrowing costs ($1.5M less than the anticipated $6 million 10-year repayment).

Meanwhile, referenda themselves have become routine. Last year, dozens of operating and capital referenda passed across Wisconsin. This spring’s ballot again includes districts seeking additional authority — often not for discrete, time-limited projects, but to cover ongoing maintenance, capital costs, or basic operations. Increasingly, districts are asking voters for more money simply to operate. Over the past three election cycles (spring 2024-spring 2025), Wisconsin districts have placed $3.8 billion in operating and capital borrowing referendum requests on local ballots.

There are consequences to this approach. When districts rely on recurring referenda and long-term debt to sustain basic functions, strategic consolidation and shared-service models become far more difficult. Few communities are willing to absorb another district’s long-term debt, particularly when those obligations were incurred under different assumptions and governance.

Debt is not inherently irresponsible. Schools need safe, functional facilities. But when debt becomes permanent, it stops being a tool and starts being a constraint. And when nearly one-fifth of all local school taxes are treated as a non-negotiable obligation before student and classroom needs are even considered, flexibility disappears.

Fiscal discipline is not measured by how easily costs are added. It is measured by whether leaders are willing — and able — to start paying them off.

Will Flanders is the Research Director for the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty.

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Wisconsin

Ski trails for Birkebeiner in Wisconsin ready to go, organizers say

Published

19 hours ago

February 20, 2026

Press Room

Ski trails for Birkebeiner in Wisconsin ready to go, organizers say

The weather is looking a bit more cooperative for Saturday’s American Birkebeiner ski race in northern Wisconsin. Officials earlier this week had to change the date and location of a few events due to the unusual warmth. NEXT Weather meteorologist Adam Del Rosso spoke to an executive director about the condition of the race trails.

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Wisconsin

7 events happening in Wisconsin Feb. 20-22

Published

1 day ago

February 20, 2026

Press Room

7 events happening in Wisconsin Feb. 20-22

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) -Here’s a look at the 7 big events happening this weekend in Wisconsin.

Marshfield Area Cultural Fair

The Marshfield Area Cultural Fair kicks off at 10 a.m. on Saturday. People of all ages and from many cultures will share stories, music, performances, and food. It’s happening at the UW-Stevens Point at Marshfield campus.

Ben Mulwana at the Grand Theater

Ugandan-born artist Ben Mulwana is taking center stage Friday night at the Grand Theater. Expect soulful lyrics and a diverse range of musical inspiration. You’ll be up close, on-stage with the artist for the show, in a cabaret-style setting. The show starts at 7:30 p.m.

Celebrate commUNITY

Get ready to celebrate diversity at the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds. The Celebrate commUNITY event will be an exciting day of cultural immersion. You can check out more than 50 booths, representing different countries, religions, and community organizations. It starts at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Oshkosh Boat Show

Head on over to the EAA Grounds Friday through Sunday for the Oshkosh Boat Show. Check out a lineup of boats, new and used. You’ll also be able to learn more about RV rentals, campgrounds, docks, lifts, and more.

American Birkebeiner

It’s time for North America’s largest and most prestigious cross-country skiing marathon. 12,000 skiers of all ages, genders, and nationalities will take part in the American Birkebeiner. The adventure continues Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Manawa Snodeo

Snowmobile racing is taking center stage at the Bear Lake Campground and Resort Saturday and Sunday, at the Manawa Snodeo. You can check out four racing tracks, a vintage snowmobile show, hot air balloons, and much more. You can check out all the excitement for $20 a day, or $30 for the full weekend.

Disney on Ice at the Resch Center

The magic of Disney is making its way to Green Bay this weekend. You can see Disney on Ice at the Resch Center. Enter the magical worlds of ‘Frozen’ and ‘Encanto’ as they come to life like never before. sing-along to your favorite songs, while watching world-class skating, aerial acrobatics, and more.

For more local events across central and north central Wisconsin, check out our Community Calendar.

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