• Wisconsin public schools have seen a 9% drop in student enrollment since 2011 but a 7% increase in staffing.
• The decline in student population is largely attributed to the state’s falling birth rate since 2007.
• Despite fewer students, districts have hired more staff to address growing needs, like mental health and academic gaps.
• Financial strain from this trend may force districts to close schools, reduce staff or cut educational programs.

Wisconsin public schools are employing more staff despite serving about 80,000 fewer students than they did 16 years ago, according to a new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum.

Since the 2010-11 school year, the number of students enrolled in the state’s public schools has fallen more than 9% to about 792,000 students this school year. Meanwhile, the number of staff in schools increased 7%, and the number of public schools decreased about 3%, the Policy Forum reported.

With state funding tied to student counts, enrollment declines put additional strain on district budgets. The Policy Forum warned “the cost pressures of increased staffing will grow” as districts seek to maintain their workforces with shrinking revenues.

Combined with other financial constraints, including growing student needs and revenue limits that haven’t kept up with inflation, “districts will likely face tough financial decisions around closing schools, reducing their workforce, or cutting educational programming,” the Policy Forum said.

Here are five takeaways from the report:

Elementary schools see biggest enrollment drop

Enrollment trends varied across Wisconsin. Students, schools and staff declined in urban school districts. In suburban districts, enrollment remained stable and staffing increased nearly 19% since 2011. Both town and rural districts lost students but expanded staff.

The Policy Forum attributed the enrollment loss to the state’s declining birth rate, which has continuously fallen since 2007.

Over the past 16 years, elementary school enrollment dropped about 16%, compared with nearly 9% in middle schools and about 8% in high schools, the organization reported.

Fewer schools but closures haven’t kept pace with enrollment decline

In response, some districts have closed or consolidated schools to reduce costs. The number of public schools in Wisconsin decreased from 2,202 schools in 2011 to 2,132 in 2026.

The number of elementary schools decreased 9%, and the number of high schools decreased nearly 6%, according to the Policy Forum. However, the number of standalone middle schools increased by about 7%, and schools serving both elementary and high school students – many of them charter schools – grew more than 150%.

Private schools in Wisconsin also declined more than 8% over the past 16 years.

Even so, the decline in the number of schools hasn’t kept pace with the loss of students. The Policy Forum said it’s hard for districts to close schools or cut staff because student losses are typically spread across grade levels and buildings.

“Staffing cuts and school closures are also unpopular and painful for districts and communities, leaving leaders with difficult decisions and tradeoffs,” the report said.

MPS is cutting some staff, but adding jobs, too

For Milwaukee Public Schools, where enrollment has long been on the decline, outside consultants have suggested permanently closing five schools on the city’s north side. Superintendent Brenda Cassellius has said she isn’t yet ready to recommend closing those schools but does eventually expect to call for closures over multiple years.

The district’s budget for the upcoming school year also includes more than 260 cuts to non-classroom staff positions, though it also adds more than 150 new paraprofessionals and 150 teachers.

Paraprofessionals and other aides added across Wisconsin

Across Wisconsin, the number of classroom teachers has grown by less than 1% since 2011, or about 470 additional full-time equivalent positions. Schools have also added the full-time equivalent of more than 3,360 paraprofessionals and program aides, a nearly 31% increase, according to the Policy Forum.

Overall, teachers and paraprofessionals in classrooms increased by more than 5%. The number of all other licensed staff members – including district administrators, principals, counselors, therapists and other school support staff – increased by the full-time equivalent of 1,849 positions, or nearly 16%.

No effective alternative, district leaders say

District leaders told the Wisconsin Policy Forum they have expanded staffing to address growing student needs, including mental health challenges, widening academic gaps and increased numbers of students who have disabilities or are English learners.

Still, “district leaders expressed frustration with employing more staff for fewer students, but said they have not found an effective alternative,” the report said.

With enrollment projected to continue falling, the Policy Forum said districts will likely keep relying on property tax referendums to maintain services and staffing levels. The organization said district leaders may also seek additional support from the state, and lawmakers have an opportunity to “consider how to best protect student learning during this demographic shift.”

Kayla Huynh covers K-12 education, teachers and solutions for the Journal Sentinel. Contact: khuynh@gannett.com. Follow her on X: @_kaylahuynh.

Kayla Huynh‘s reporting is supported by Herb Kohl Philanthropies and reader contributions to the Journal Sentinel Community-Funded Journalism Project. Journal Sentinel editors maintain full editorial control over all content. To support this work, visit jsonline.com/support. Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation (memo: “JS Community Journalism”) and mailed to P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689.

The JS Community-Funded Journalism Project is administered by Local Media Foundation, tax ID #36-4427750, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable trust affiliated with Local Media Association.

MILWAUKEE – The Wisconsin primary is less than two months away, and Democrats still have a large field of seven candidates running for governor.

Rodriguez leads straw poll

By the numbers:

A new straw poll is giving some early insight into the race.

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The WisPolitics straw poll was held at the Wisconsin Democratic Convention in Madison, which was attended by Democratic Party insiders and activists. Just shy of 600 delegates and guests voted.

The poll found Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez in first place with 27%. State Rep. Francesca Hong of Madison finished second with 23%, followed by state Sen. Kelda Roys of Madison with 19%.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley received 13%. All other candidates received single digits, and former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes finished sixth.

Strategists urge caution

What they’re saying:

In 2018, the WisPolitics straw poll did not pick now-Gov. Tony Evers. Evers went on to win the Democratic primary.

“Smart candidates are always reassessing and assessing the world. I have been on gubernatorial campaigns, and they always view state conventions as a really key marker in time,” Democratic strategist Joe Zepecki said.

Zepecki said the convention crowd is not necessarily representative of the broader electorate.

“I think when you look at the insider opinions about this race. The 1,000 people or so who make up the backbone of the Democratic Party, who knock on the doors, who staff those county party offices, they’re not representative of the broader public, and one of the ways they’re least representative is how much news and information and time they spend thinking about good campaigns, bad campaigns, what campaign is up, what campaign is down, and so I think there are quite a few people out of the 1,000 who voted in the straw poll, who would have done things differently in 2022,” he said. “I don’t think that means that the half a million people who vote in the primary in August are really thinking about 2022. Voters in this primary are thinking about why can’t I afford to vote, why are my utility bills and my gas bills so high, Washington isn’t doing anything for us. Can we look to a state leadership to do something that’s ultimately what this election is going to be about.”

Political strategists said the straw poll numbers should not be overinterpreted.

“The folks who go to your Democratic or Republican State convention are your most engaged, most informed, most active voters out there,” Republican strategist Mark Graul said. “They don’t represent how most people view politics. Most Wisconsinites weren’t at either Republican or Democratic state conventions.”

Candidates face August primary

Dig deeper:

The convention is seen as an important testing ground and a chance for candidates to break through with party insiders.

MADISON, WISCONSIN – JUNE 14: Governor candidate Sara Rodriguez speaks on stage during Wisconsin Democrats 2026 Convention on June 14, 2026 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for WisDems)

“Straw polls are really interesting for insiders, and we have to take them with a grain of salt. Sarah Rodriguez, a Waukesha Democrat, going into Madison, home of two of her other candidates, Kelda Roys and Fran Hong, and winning. That’s a nice feather for her cap,” Zepecki said. “She clearly is building a statewide coalition.”

As for whether it is time for the other candidates to drop out, Zepecki said not yet.

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“I don’t think so,” he said. “I think that day is fast approaching, where some of these candidates need to take a long hard look in the mirror and determine whether there’s actually a path or if the role they have to play is to help make one of those leading three candidates the nominee.

Mordecai Lee, a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee professor emeritus, said candidates can be reluctant to accept difficult realities in a campaign.

“As you could imagine, political candidates have big egos. They don’t like reality checks,” Lee said. “They always in their minds see some fantasy result of how they pull it out of nowhere, and they win.”

Could the field shrink?

Big picture view:

Lee said some candidates may eventually decide dropping out is better than risking a poor showing.

“Sooner or later, somebody’s going to say: I want to protect my standing, I don’t want to go all the way into the primary and get wiped out with 2% of the vote and then I’ll never have a political future,” he said. “Maybe it’s better that instead of staying in, I drop out.”

The state party does not endorse a candidate. Still, the straw poll could give some momentum to Rodriguez as the race continues.

(WLUK) — Several meat processors across the state, including some in Northeast Wisconsin, received grants to help modernize and grow their businesses.

As part of June Dairy Month, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) announced 18 Wisconsin meat processors will receive grants through the 2026 Meat Processor Infrastructure Grant Program.

Created by Gov. Evers in 2021, these grants help local meat processors modernize and grow their businesses, produce new products, or expand their markets, while improving profitability and sustaining the long-term viability of Wisconsin’s meat processing facilities.

“Here in Wisconsin, we’ve worked hard to ensure our farmers, producers, and processors have the resources and support they need to grow and expand their businesses and continue making the high-quality products Wisconsin is known for,” said Gov. Evers. “That includes our meat processors, and I’m proud that we were able to continue to make smart investments in their success in our most recent state budget, and I’m excited to see how these grants help our processors expand their business, increase product output, and invest in reliable processing infrastructure for the future of their business and the future of this industry here in Wisconsin.”

Grant recipients were selected through a competitive review process and are required to provide a match of 100% of the grant amount.

DATCP received 47 applications totaling $1.77 million in grant requests. An additional $700,000 in grants will be available in 2027.

The Meat Processor Infrastructure Grant recipients and their planned projects are:

• Almena Meat Company Inc. in Almena to replace the harvest floor carcass cooler and refrigeration system.
• Bark River Poultry Farms in Hartland to update processing equipment within the licensed mobile processing unit.
• Black River Meats LLC in Withee to expand cooler capacity to support continued growth and operational efficiency.
• Blair Meat Market in Blair to replace reduced oxygen packaging equipment.
• Bloomington Meats II in Bloomington to replace a 60-year-old bacon slicer.
• Durand Smokehouse in Durand to install smokehouse grease traps to separate grease from wastewater.
• Fayes Frozen Foods LLC in Sheboygan to expand the production, packaging, and freezing line.
• Fox Brothers Piggly Wiggly in Hartland to purchase a grinder to improve the speed of production.
• Frontpage Processing in Scandinavia for a physical infrastructure expansion.
• Hoesly’s Meats in New Glarus for a freezer expansion, compressor, and evaporator upgrades.
• Marchant’s Meats & Sausage in Sturgeon Bay for a 1,100 square foot building expansion.
• The Meat Block LLC in Greenville to purchase a blast chiller and oven.
• Northstar Bison in Cameron for a reefer truck purchase.
• Riverside Meat in Waukesha for equipment purchases to add production lines.
• Roskom Meats LLC in Kaukauna to purchase a high-capacity sausage stuffer.
• Salchert’s Market Inc. in Saint Cloud to modernize the existing freezer and install bone processing equipment.
• Sheboygan Pasty Co. in Sheboygan for packaging line upgrades.
• TMB East LLC (DBA Haen Meats) in Kaukauna for a cooler addition to separate raw product from RTE.