Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Federal Focus: Updates on Latest Federal News
School Meals During Government Shutdown
For Fiscal Year 2026, the DPI has received funding for several USDA Child Nutrition Programs, including the National School Lunch Program and the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (some School Food Authorities also participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program – CACFP – which has received funding as well).
- The DPI currently has funding available to pay October meals claimed for reimbursement in November. We anticipate receiving additional federal funds as they are released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- USDA Foods purchased prior to the lapse in appropriations will continue to be shipped. Program operators should therefore expect regular USDA Foods deliveries during the funding lapse.
- Students certified for free or reduced-price meals retain their eligibility for the entire school year plus up to 30 operating days into the next school year, regardless of household income changes.
- Students always receive the best benefit for which they qualify.
- The DPI has been notified that FoodShare (SNAP) payments may be delayed in November if the federal shutdown continues. However, students who qualified for free meals based on FoodShare participation will continue to be eligible for free meals.
- Federal employees affected by furloughs may submit a Free and Reduced Meal Application based on their current household income, which may temporarily be zero.
- All complete applications must be accepted at face value and processed according to normal program rules.
If you have questions related to school meals during the federal government shutdown, please contact the DPI's School Nutrition Team at dpifns@dpi.wi.gov.
Thank you for your continued efforts to ensure that all students have access to nutritious meals during this time.
Judge Orders Restoration of School-Based Mental Health Grant Funds
On Monday, a federal judge ruled that funding terminated in April for the School-Based Mental Health Professionals Grant Program must be restored.
In Wisconsin, grant funding was used to expand online certification pathways, support “grow your own” initiatives for future school mental health providers, and offer statewide training and professional development to improve staff retention. Wisconsin was one of 22 states to receive the grant award last year, building on the success of the DPI’s 2020 pilot program.
The program’s impact has been significant: participating districts saw a 14 percent reduction in the student-to-mental-health-professional ratio. Additionally, 487 new students enrolled in University of Wisconsin System graduate pupil services certification programs, and since 2021-22, 348 new mental health professionals have been hired to serve in local education agencies. The DPI is awaiting additional guidance on the restoration process and will share updates as they become available.
Release of 2024-25 School & District Report Cards
The public release of final school and district report cards is scheduled for Tuesday, November 11. Public versions will include redactions to protect student privacy.
The window to submit report card inquiries to the DPI’s Office of Educational Accountability closed on October 13. OEA staff are now working with schools and districts that submitted inquiries to resolve issues and make manual corrections. Please note that scores and ratings may change based on updates from this process. Finalized data will be used for state and federal (ESSA and IDEA) accountability systems.
Any updates from the inquiry period will appear in the final secure report cards, scheduled for release on Thursday, November 6. Districts will receive an email from ReportCardHelp@dpi.wi.gov when the final secure report cards are available in the Secure Access File Exchange (SAFE).
Report card resources, including a Communicating with Your Community document, are available on the DPI’s website to support your review and local messaging.
For questions about report cards, please contact the OEA team via email.
2025-26 District Administrator Snapshot Reminder
The annual WISEdata Student Snapshot will take place on December 9, 2025. Thank you to your staff for their ongoing efforts to prepare for this important data submission. Your support in ensuring high-quality, accurate data is essential.
Below is a summary of the data to submit for the snapshot:
- 2024-25 Year End Completion data: Used to calculate graduation rates, dropout rates, chronic absenteeism, and discipline)
- 2024-25 Roster and Career Education data
- 2024-25 Timely Special Education Evaluation
- 2025-26 Third Friday of September (TFS) Enrollment
- 2025-26 October 1 Child Count of students with disabilities
- 2025-26 Graduation Requirements (Grad Plan)
- 2024-25/2025-26 Demographics, including economically disadvantaged status
- 2025-26 District Library Plan (entered by you in the WISEadmin Portal)
- 2025-26 Digital Opportunity Data (optional)
Once the snapshot is taken, the data are considered certified and final.
Snapshot data are used for public reporting on the WISEdash Public Portal, populating the WISEdata Portal and WISEdash for Districts to support data quality checks and analysis, federal reporting (including IDEA Child Count, career and technical education, civil rights data collection, and ESSA), funding allocations such as Perkins, IDEA flow-through, and preschool funding, school and district report cards, and joint federal notifications.
Please use the WISEadmin application created specifically for you to access important WISE-related resources and to submit your district library plan (note: only users with the WISEadmin Administrator role can update this plan). If you experience any difficulties, please submit a help ticket via the DPI’s website.
We recognize the significant effort this work requires and deeply appreciate your continued focus on data quality and your commitment to supporting accurate state and federal reporting.
Reminder: Input Requested on American Indian Studies Surveys (Wisconsin Act 31)
As shared in the October 14 EdLeaders Dispatch, the DPI is collaborating with the Survey Research Center at UW-River Falls and Tribal partners to launch two American Indian Studies (Wisconsin Act 31) surveys. The goal of these surveys is to better understand district needs and to strengthen the DPI’s support for implementing Act 31 requirements.
Your input will help inform future training, resources, and technical assistance related to American Indian Studies instruction. Participation is voluntary and anonymous, but your feedback is essential.
- Administrator Survey: This survey opened October 21, 2025, and will close on Friday (October 31). This survey is specifically directed to superintendents, principals, curriculum leads and library/media specialists.
- Teacher Survey: This survey opens November 4, 2025, and will remain open through Friday, November 14, 2025. It is specifically directed to 4K-5 teachers and 6-12 content teachers (e.g. social studies, English language arts, etc.). We ask that you please forward the link to this survey when it is sent to appropriate staff so we can get their feedback.
If you have any questions about the surveys, please contact DPI Education Consultant (American Indian Studies) David O’Connor either via email at david.oconnor@dpi.wi.gov or via phone at 608-267-2283. You can also contact DPI Policy Initiatives Advisors Yesenia Saavedra yesenia.saavedra@dpi.wi.gov and Laura Adams laura.adams@dpi.wi.gov with any additional questions or feedback.
Staying Cybersecure: A Message for District Leaders
As National Cybsersecurity Awareness Month wraps up, the DPI thanks you for continuing to remind staff, students, and families that cybersecurity matters every day.
Unfortunately, Wisconsin districts – like those across the country – remain targets for cybercriminals. Threats range from phishing and fraud to ransomware, harassment, and even foreign actors probing for weaknesses. A single wrong click can disrupt school operations or expose sensitive data.
While cyberattacks are now a fact of life, every district can take practical steps to prepare and reduce risk. The DPI has compiled information and resources to help with your cybersecurity efforts.