Wisconsin public schools enrollment drop adds to virus woes
October 20, 2020 6:10PM CDT
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — State education officials say enrollment at public schools in Wisconsin has dropped by 3% this year.
The state Department of Public Instruction says the numbers decline could further hurt districts already in a financial pinch because of the extra costs associated with COVID-19 pandemic, such as more laptops and internet hotspots for students and cleaning supplies.
Some state aid to districts is decided on a per pupil basis, while other state funding is based on a three-year, rolling enrollment average.
The Wisconsin State Journal reports that the department reported 818,922 students for the 2020-21 school year. That’s a dip of roughly 25,000 students.
