A new Wisconsin Policy Forum report finds that data bear out the message that fire chiefs and medical directors have been sharing for years — the volunteer service model that largely defined emergency responses for over a century is failing.
Wisconsin has seen an ongoing decline in the number of students enrolled in its school districts, but the numbers of schools and their staffing levels have not followed the same path.
After years of major budget shifts linked to federal pandemic funding and referenda, the Madison Metropolitan School District’s 2027 budget proposal is marked by stability, with brisk spending growth but few major changes.
The number of small businesses in the state expanded rapidly in the post-pandemic period, a new Wisconsin Policy Forum report finds.
Milwaukee Public Schools has proposed a 2027 budget that would tackle some immediate challenges and balance its books, but it would still leave the district facing an ominous long-term outlook, the Wisconsin Policy Forum’s annual review of district finances finds.
Lower rates of cigarette use translate to many health benefits for Wisconsinites, extending the lifespans of former smokers and sparing many state residents from life-altering chronic health conditions. Another consequence of this sweeping shift: Wisconsin’s reliance on cigarette tax revenue is waning.
As in the rest of Wisconsin, the pace of development in Jefferson County has slowed over the last decade, while its schools have seen sizable student enrollment declines.
In the last two decades, Wisconsin’s prison population has come to include growing numbers of older adults, those whose most serious offense was a violent crime, and those convicted of intoxicated driving.
Voters across Wisconsin approved 46 of 75 school district referenda this spring, a 61.3% approval rate that aligns with a recent downward trend.
Milwaukee County municipalities may stand to benefit by working collaboratively to conduct property assessments, either with an in-house or contract assessor.