(The Center Square) – Some University of Wisconsin campuses have a few more students this fall after the system released its preliminary enrollment numbers.
“New freshman enrollment is up 3%, or nearly 900 students, according to the preliminary estimates — with eight universities showing new freshman enrollment increases of 5% or more,” the university said in a statement. “Overall, enrollment is 164,340 in fall 2025, according to the preliminary estimates, down 96 students from the final 2024 fall enrollment counts.”
The university credits its Direct Admit program, where UW campuses accept students who graduate from Wisconsin high schools without requiring them to apply first, for some of the enrollment jumps at some campuses.
“We are seeing positive signs on enrollment for the third straight year,” Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman added. “New freshman enrollment is particularly promising. It’s a win when our state’s public universities continue to attract and retain talent Wisconsin will need to prosper.”
The university is blaming a drop in international students for some of the enrollment decline across the UW system.
UW-Madison continues to be the largest campus in the UW System, with 51,550 students this fall. That’s 250 or so students less than last fall. UW-Green Bay saw the largest year-over-year enrollment increase. The Green Bay campus has nearly 300 more students this fall. Both the Stevens Point and Whitewater campuses have about 350 more students this year.
UW-Eau Claire and UW-Oshkosh saw the biggest drops in the UW System. Both campuses have about 500 fewer students than last fall.
“Eight of 13 universities showed increases under the preliminary enrollments. The Universities of Wisconsin have been providing enrollment estimates based on day one counts since fall 2020. Official enrollment counts will be released later this fall based on the 10th day of enrollment,” the university said.

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin Republican lawmakers intend to push a bill to require Wisconsin to opt in to a new federal school choice tax credit.
But Gov. Tony Evers has said that he does not intend to allow the state to join the program.
Assembly Republicans and Rep. Jessie Rodriguez, R-Oak Creek, said that the bill was coming during a Tuesday afternoon news conference on the group’s plans for education bills this session. Soon after, Evers indicated that he does not plan to opt in to the program, which allows a 100% tax credit for anyone who donates up to $1,700 to a school choice scholarship granting organization.
“It’s unfortunate the Governor does not intend to opt Wisconsin into the new federal school choice tax credit, which would give dollar-for-dollar tax credits to people who donate to organizations that award scholarships for students in private and public schools,” Rodriguez said.
Governors and legislators across the country have debated whether to opt in after the tax credit was created through a federal reconciliation bill, with debates in neighboring Illinois and across the country. The tax credit is set to begin in 2027.
“The governor is hurting all students in Wisconsin by refusing to opt into this tax credit,” Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty Research Director Will Flanders wrote. “This is why Wisconsin continues to fall behind other states who are more than willing to think outside the box when it comes to educating their students.”
Flanders took part in Tuesday’s news conference. Rodriguez said that, if Wisconsin fails to opt in for the tax credit, it will allow donors in other states to benefit from Wisconsin tax dollars while state residents cannot.
She asked that Evers reconsider his decision, which she said has no cost to Wisconsin taxpayers.
“I fear the Governor may not understand the policy too well,” Rodriguez said. “He claims that opting our state in would be ‘catastrophic’ to public schools, but the federal tax credit can benefit students in private and public schools alike. This program isn’t about one type of school. It helps public, private, charter, and homeschool families access the tools their kids need to succeed. These scholarships can be used for tutoring, transportation, or supplemental courses that directly support children in the classroom.”

(The Center Square) – One of suburban Milwaukee’s Republican congressmen says the federal government must provide oversight to Milwaukee’s bus system.
Congressman Bryan Steil last week wrote to the nation’s transportation secretary, asking for federal oversight after reports showed that a full third of people riding Milwaukee County buses are not paying fares.
“We need far more transparency about what’s going on. Why did it take investigative reporters to discover this? Why wasn’t this front and center in front of Milwaukee County leaders?” Steil said Tuesday on News Talk 1130 WISN. “Oversight, standards, transparency. This is what the federal government apparently has to provide, because Milwaukee County Transit System is not going to do it themselves.”
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel last week first reported that nearly 3.5 million people haven’t paid fares so far this year. At $2 per-fare, that’s nearly $7 million.
Steil said that’s clearly one reason why Milwaukee County’s Transit System is running an $11 million deficit.
“One-out-of-three people are walking right by the fare box,” Steil added. “You know who that’s really unfair to? The two-out-of-three people that are actually playing by the rules in paying their way. So, this is all about oversight, about transparency, and about the United States Department of Transportation having standards that we’re going to enforce.”
Steil said the federal government “subsidizes” Milwaukee County’s bus system by about $50 million.
“We have President Trump in office if we can finally address the waste, fraud, and abuse that’s occurring with the massive amount of taxpayer dollars that are going to a whole host of programs across the country,” Steil said. “We should be making sure that we have some oversight, clear standards, and transparency about what’s going on in Milwaukee County. That we’re operating fairly and efficiently, because at the end of the day this is taxpayer money that’s being lost by the fact that Milwaukee is not enforcing the rule of law.”

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s Assembly Republicans are planning a series of education bills that include assistance for consolidating school districts, addressing racial achievement gaps in the state, create a teacher bill of rights and promote dual enrollment classes in the state’s high schools.
Wisconsin currently has 53,000 less K-12 students than it did a decade ago as the state’s population decline due to fertility rate has begun to show up in schools.
The state was estimated to have a population of 5.96 million in late 2024 that is expected to drop to 5.71 million by 2050.
Wisconsin currently has 421 school districts and an ever-increasing number of districts going to referendum to fund infrastructure and operations as they continue to serve less students each year.
“That number is going to have to drop if we are going to have to fulfil those obligations,” said Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie.
Full details of a proposal were not released at a news conference on Tuesday but Nedweski said the plan is to give school districts the tools to study and enact both consolidations and shared services between districts.
The bill would also put in place a plan to address the consolidation of districts with different property tax rates, including some “backfill” with state funds to equalize rates between districts.
“Our goal is to provide support, give tools and provide incentives for voluntary consolidation,” Nedweski said.
The Assembly Republicans also plan to start four new task forces to address rulemaking, elder services, government efficiency and protecting kids.
The rulemaking task force will look to address a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling that stripped the Legislature of much of its rulemaking and enforcement power related to how Wisconsin agencies enact laws.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, has called the current process of avoiding rulemaking “outside of the law” and that was reiterated on Tuesday as the supreme court ruling was called “a 180” from how Wisconsin government has operated in the past.
Vos said that the Wisconsin Senate is in a “deliberative process” but he is confident that bills can be passed before the session adjourns in February.
“We are the ones who work a little faster in the Assembly,” Vos said.
The dual enrollment bill will aim to streamline regulations, align deadlines and improve credit transferability.

(The Center Square) – Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley will run to be Wisconsin’s governor, his campaign announced Tuesday.
Crowley will joint Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez in the field as a Democrat after Gov. Tony Evers announced he will not seek reelection.
“I know what it’s like to struggle, and I know families across our state feel like they’re falling behind,” Crowley said in a statement. “With costs shooting up, we are all getting less, even if we’re making more. As Governor, I’ll fight every day to make sure that everyone in our state has access to what they need to succeed: good-paying jobs, more money in their pockets, affordable health care and housing, and fully funded public schools.
“Together, we can build a Wisconsin that works for all of us.”
Crowley previously said that he was taking steps to enter the race so his official announcement was not a surprise.
Whitefish Bay Resident Bill Berrien and Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann, both Republicans, were the first two candidates to announce they are running for the seat.
Crowley was a Wisconsin legislator before becoming Milwaukee County Executive. He chaired the Milwaukee Caucus and the Legislative Black Caucus.
The Democratic primary is scheduled for Aug. 11, 2026.
“As a legislator, I fought to protect the rights of people across our state, and as County Executive, I’ve led Wisconsin’s largest and most diverse county,” Crowley said. “The challenges I’ve addressed in Milwaukee County aren’t specific to one county or one political party; these are issues that communities face all across Wisconsin.”

(The Center Square) – A group of Wisconsin lawmakers are proposing to end state income tax on overtime earnings.
The bill would subtract the income tax on overtime and have workers instead pay income tax on the normal rate of pay. The bill is intended to conform to federal Internal Revenue Code requirements.
The bill is sponsored by state Sen. Rob Hutton, R-Brookfield along with Reps. Paul Melotik, Bob Donovan, and Benjamin Franklin, and Sens. Van Wanggaard and Julian Bradley.
“When Wisconsinites step up to cover extra shifts and keep our communities running, the tax code shouldn’t punish that effort,” Hutton said in a statement. “This bill helps workers keep more of what they earn and supports employers across sectors—from manufacturing and health care to public safety and hospitality.”
The bill would have what authors call “reasonable limits” on the exception in order to benefit workers that are most likely to rely on overtime. The idea has been proposed before in Wisconsin but not implemented.
“We’re aligning with federal definitions to keep things simple and ensure there aren’t compliance headaches for workers or employers at tax time,” Hutton said. “This bill is a practical step to ensure hard-working Wisconsinites keep more of what they earn.”

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s state-owned bridges are in better condition than locally owned county or municipality bridges, according to a new report.
Only 1.6% of the 5,300 bridges statewide operated by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation are considered in poor condition, according to data analyzed by Wisconsin Policy Forum.
That compared to 11.3% of the county-owned bridges being rated poor, 8.8% of those in cities and villages and 8.6% of town-owned bridges being rated poor.
Each Wisconsin bridge is evaluated on three criteria at least every two years, with those in poor condition or older bridges evaluated more frequently, according to the report.
Overall, 51.0% of Wisconsin’s bridges were rated “good” with 6.6% rated in “poor” condition in 2024. Nationwide, 44.1% of bridges are rated as “good.”
“The proportion of Wisconsin’s bridges in good condition consistently has surpassed the national average for many years,” Wisconsin Policy Forum wrote.
Wisconsin’s DOT owns 37.3% of bridges, towns own 31.3%, counties own 21.8% and both cities and villages own 9.4% of the bridges.
The bridges are rated on the condition of the bridge’s deck, the structure that supports the deck and the substructure that supports the entire bridge.
Each area of the bridge is given a rating between zero and nine with zero a failure and nine an excellent rating.
The bridge’s final score is determined by the lowest of the three ratings.
“Bridges are a vital part of Wisconsin’s road network, helping to connect communities and businesses across the state,” the analysis said. “Bridges that are in poor condition are more likely to have weight limits on the vehicles that use them or to be closed completely, which can result in increased traffic congestion and travel times and contribute to potential economic disruptions.”
The analysis showed that local governments have a more difficult time funding bridge repairs and replacements despite $100 million in supplemental state funds that have been available for the repairs in each of the past four state budgets.
“The recent increases in shared revenue and state transportation aid may help communities to fund local bridge projects going forward,” the analysis said. “Many local communities, however, may continue to find it difficult to finance major bridge projects without running up against state limits to property tax increases. Ultimately, state and local leaders will have to decide how much they’re willing to tax and spend in service of maintaining high-quality bridges on interstates and rural roads.”

(The Center Square) – Milwaukee’s new superintendent says the city’s school district will likely need $100 million more.
Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said on UpFront over the weekend that Milwaukee schools could be looking at a $100 million “structural imbalance” as soon as next year.
“If there is no additional state aid coming in, that would either mean pretty drastic cuts to the district or raising of revenue somehow to be able to continue to provide the same level of service we’re providing today,” Cassellius said.
Cassellius didn’t offer any specifics but blamed inflation for part of the imbalance.
“Any time you have inflation, our gas prices go up, our utility prices go up, our food prices go up. And I’m sure parents are tightening their own belts, and so we’ll be tightening our belts as well as we face what might be up to $100 million structural imbalance that we think we might have next year as we begin to look at the budget for the upcoming school year,” Cassellius added.
The talk of a budget shortfall comes a little more than a year after MPS went to taxpayers for their last budget shortfall.
Voters in Milwaukee approved a $250 million property tax increase for MPS in April 2024.
“I’m a superintendent, and have been a state superintendent, and I like to ask for money all the time,” Cassellius joked on UpFront. “But we do have adequate funding right now, thanks to the wonderful Milwaukee voters who voted for [the] referendum. I think we’d be in a really different place right now had the Milwaukee voters not given us their trust.”
Cassellius said she is “dedicated to making sure that we continue to earn that trust and be good stewards of the public’s money.”
But any request for more money will come as MPS continues to struggle with the loss of state aid because of last summer’s fiscal mismanagement scandal. The district has still not turned in all of its late financial reports.
And there’s MPS’ falling enrollment, as well as the district’s chronic absenteeism rate, low graduation rate, and Milwaukee Public Schools’ worst-in-the-nation racial learning gap.
Cassellius said she’s already spoken to the Republicans who control the state legislature and is cautiously optimistic.
“[The talks] have gone really well. Obviously, I think they’ll want to see some demonstrated results out of MPS, but they’ve been open and friendly, and I think they want to see change at MPS, too,” Cassellius added.

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s Democratic U.S. senator is once again pushing to make sure everyone in the state can watch the Packers.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin is back with the Go Pack Go Act.
Baldwin has for years pushed for everyone who lives in Wisconsin to get Packers games during the season.
“Regardless of where you live, every Wisconsinite should be able to cheer on the Green and Gold,” Baldwin said in a statement. “But right now, hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites live in communities where they could get Vikings or Lions games broadcast on their TVs instead of Packers games.”
People in 13 counties in Wisconsin, all either near Michigan’s Upper Peninsula or near the Minnesota border, don’t automatically get Packer games on broadcast TV.
“In Wisconsin, more than 415,000 people live in [those] 13 counties that have been assigned to an out-of-state market,” Baldwin said about her Go Pack Go plan. “Wisconsinites on the Minnesota border could see the Vikings and those on the Michigan border could see the Lions instead of the Packers. [The] Go Pack Go Act would require cable and satellite providers to provide their Wisconsin subscribers with access to programming from broadcast television stations in a Wisconsin media market.”
Green Bay-area Republican Congressman Tony Wied on Thursday also came-out in favor of the Go Pack Go Act.
“Nothing brings Wisconsinites together quite like the Packers,” Wied said in a statement. “The Go Pack Go Act is about making sure every Packers fan, from Douglas to Door County, can watch their team without being forced to endure Vikings or Lions broadcasts. I’m happy to join Sen. Baldwin to lead this common sense, bipartisan legislation. If you live in the land of Lambeau, you deserve to see the Green and Gold every Sunday. No exceptions.”
Baldwin’s office says Packer fans in Ashland, Bayfield, Douglas, Iron and Sawyer Counties in the Duluth-Superior media market would be able to get Packer games. As would fans in Barron, Burnett, Dunn Polk, Pierce, St. Croix, and Washburn Counties in the Twin Cities media market. Packer backers in Florence County and Marquette, in the Michigan media market would also be able to get Packer broadcasts under the Go Pack Go Act.

(The Center Square) – A bill that would block all levels of Wisconsin government from funding health care from undocumented immigrants was heard in committee for the first time.
The bill is aimed at preventing the state from adding undocumented immigrants to BadgerCare like occurred in recent years in Minnesota and Illinois, according to Rep. Alex Dallman, R-Markesan.
Dallman said the recent budget put in “large amounts” for charitable and free clinics.
“We continue to try to bolster those services for those who need it the most across especially our rural communities, those who do not have access like we hope they would,” Dallman said.
But Assembly Bill 308 goes further than those programs, as evidenced by fiscal notes from state departments including the Department of Corrections, who believes it could be unconstitutional to deny state-paid care to inmates who are undocumented.
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction said that it does not have an estimate of how many undocumented students who visit school nurses.
Dallman was asked about by Rep. Karen Kirsch, D-Greenville, what school nurses would do or if they would be required to check the immigration status of students but Dallman responded that DPI said “they were unable to provide any effect that it would have on their programs.”
Dallman said that when Minnesota expanded its Medicaid program called MinnesotaCare, it expected to have about 5,000 undocumented immigrants enroll but instead saw more than 20,000 new undocumented enrollees with 24% under the age of 18.
That allowance was later rescinded after it was estimated to cost the state $600 million over four years. Dallman said that an Illinois audit showed the state spent $900 million on Medicaid for undocumented immigrants.
“These are enormous price tags for those who are here unlawfully,” Dallman said. “This cannot and should not be the case here in Wisconsin. With a state budget that is currently already very lean, we must prioritize our citizens over those who are here unlawfully.”

(The Center Square) – The Wisconsin Institute of Law and Liberty filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after a Madison elementary special education teacher was involuntarily transferred for what it claimed is race-based reasoning.
The Madison Metropolitan School District began a race-based scoring system it calls “culturally responsible practices” to prioritize “students of color” and added it to teacher evaluations when making decisions on teachers that would be transferred instead of seniority.
Kally Bishop was a special education teacher at Thoreau Elementary before the transfer. She worked with non-verbal students who struggle with basic communication skills.
“I loved my job at Thoreau Elementary and was heartbroken to be forced out after so many years there,” Bishop said in a statement. “No teacher or student should ever be discriminated against based on their race.”
Bishop received high scores in reviews and positive comments but received a low grade in “culturally responsive practices.”
Bishop asked for more detail on the grade when it occurred but received no response and then was denied access to the rubric scores that led to her grade.
“MMSD’s hyper focus on race is both wrong and illegal,” WILL Deputy Counsel Luke Berg said in a statement. “The unfortunate and entirely predictable result is the District losing one of its best teachers at the expense of its most vulnerable students. We hope that this case exposes how the District’s rubric is being applied.”