Chapter 115 — STATE SUPERINTENDENT; GENERAL CLASSIFICATIONSAND DEFINITIONS; CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

115.001 Definitions. In chs. 115 to 121: (1) CHARTER SCHOOL. “Charter school” means a school under contract with a school board under s. 118.40, with one of the May 22, 2026, are designated by NOTES. (Published 5-22-26) 115.001 STATE SUPERINTENDENT; EDUCATION PROGRAMS entities un…

115.01 Classifications. In chs. 115 to 121: (1) PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Public schools are the elementary and high schools supported by public taxation. (2) GRADES. The educational work of the public schools is divided into 12 grades, besides kindergarten, which are numbered from one to …

115.28 General duties. The state superintendent shall: (1) GENERAL SUPERVISION. Ascertain the condition of the public schools, stimulate interest in education and spread as widely as possible a knowledge of the means and methods which may be employed to improve the schools. (2) S…

115.29 General powers. The state superintendent may: (1) DESIGNATE REPRESENTATIVE. Designate the deputy state superintendent or another employee of the department as the state superintendent’s representative on any body on which the state superintendent is required to serve, exce…

115.293 Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium; Common Core State Standards Initiative; prohibition. (1) Beginning on July 14, 2015, the state superintendent shall cease all participation in the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. (2) The state superintendent may not give eff…

115.295 Federal appropriations adjustments. (1) In this section, “the schedule” means the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) as published in the biennial budget act for the first fiscal year of a fiscal biennium and as approved by the joint committee on finance under s. 20.004 (2) for …

115.297 Cooperative research on education programs; statewide student data system. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Agencies” means the department, the board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System, the department of children and families, the department of workfor…

115.298 Disclosure of pupil records. (1) (a) The department of public instruction may enter into a memorandum of understanding with the department of children and families that permits the department of public instruction to disclose information contained in pupil records, as def…

115.30 Forms and reports. (1) The department shall prepare for the use of school officers suitable forms for making reports, and suitable outlines as aids in conducting school meetings. With the exception of changes due to statute or rule revision, the department shall give schoo…

115.31 License or permit revocation; reports; investigation. (1) In this section: (a) “Administrator” means the chief administrative officer of an educational agency. If the chief administrative officer is the subject of a report under this section, “administrator” means the pres…

115.315 Memorandum of understanding; license restriction and suspension. As provided in the memorandum of understanding under s. 49.857, the department shall restrict or suspend a license or permit granted by the department if the licensee or permit holder is delinquent in making…

115.33 Inspection of school buildings. (1) In this section: (a) “In compliance” means in compliance with subchs. I and IV of ch. 101, ch. 145 and ss. 254.11 to 254.178 and the rules promulgated under subchs. I and IV of ch. 101, ch. 145 and ss. 254.11 to 254.178. (b) “Proposed us…

115.34 School lunch program. (1) The department may contract for the operation and maintenance of school lunch programs and for the distribution, transportation, warehousing, processing and insuring of food products provided by the federal government. The form and specifications …

115.341 School breakfast program. (1) From the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (cm), the state superintendent shall reimburse each school board 15 cents for each breakfast served at a school that meets the requirements of 7 CFR 220.8 and shall reimburse each governing body of a…

115.343 Wisconsin school day milk program. (1) The department shall establish a school day milk program. A public, private, or tribal school participating in the program shall offer each eligible child one half-pint of Wisconsin-produced whole milk, 2 percent milk, 1.5 percent mi…

115.345 Nutritional improvement for elderly. (1) Any school district approved by the state superintendent may establish a system to provide the opportunity for authorized elderly persons to participate in its school lunch program. If a school board desires to establish such a ser…

115.347 Direct certification of eligibility for school nutrition programs. (1) Beginning in the 1994-95 school year, a school board may submit enrollment data to the department of children and families for the purpose of directly certifying children as eligible for free or reduce…

115.35 Health problems education program. (1) A critical health problems education program is established in the department. The program shall be a systematic and integrated program designed to provide appropriate learning experiences based on scientific knowledge of the human or…

115.355 Assistance to schools for instruction on adoption. The department shall annually and upon request disseminate to appropriate public school staff information about materials and services available through the state adoption center under s. 48.55 which may serve as resource…

115.359 Recovery high schools; operational and planning grants. (1) DEFINITION. In this section, “recovery high school” means a public, private, or tribal school that operates only high school grades and meets all of the following criteria: (a) The school is specifically designed…

115.36 and submit a report to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2). (40) MILWAUKEE PUBLIC MUSEUM. Annually distribute the amount appropriated under s. 20.255 (3) (eg) to the Milwaukee Public Museum to develop curricula and exhibits relating to African American history if the Milwa…

115.3615 Head start supplement. 115.363 Second Chance Partners for Education. 115.364 Aid for school mental health programs. 115.365 Assistance to schools for suicide prevention programs. 115.366 Grants to support peer-to-peer suicide prevention programs. 115.367 School-based men…

115.363 Second Chance Partners for Education. (1) In this section: (a) “Disengaged pupils” means pupils who are children at risk, as defined in s. 118.153 (1) (a), and other pupils identified by the school board. (b) “Work-based learning program” means a program that provides occ…

115.364 Aid for school mental health programs. (1) In this section: (a) “Eligible independent charter school” is a school under contract with one of the entities under s. 118.40 (2r) (b) 1. or with the director under s. 118.40 (2x) that increased the amount it expended in the pre…

115.365 Assistance to schools for suicide prevention programs. (1) The purpose of this section is to enable and encourage public, private, and tribal schools to develop programs designed to prevent suicide among minors. (2) The department, in conjunction with the department of he…

115.366 Grants to support peer-to-peer suicide prevention programs. (1) GRANT PROGRAM. The department shall establish and implement a competitive grant program to award grants for the purpose of supporting peer-to-peer suicide prevention programs in public, private, and tribal sc…

115.367 School-based mental health services grants. (1) GRANT PROGRAM. The department shall establish and administer a program to award grants to school boards and operators of charter schools under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) for the purpose of collaborating with mental health provid…

115.368 Assistance to schools for protective behaviors programs. (1) The purpose of this section is to enable and encourage public, private, and tribal schools to develop protective behaviors programs and anti-offender behavior programs designed to assist minors and their parents…

115.37 Blind and visual impairment education council. (1) In this section: (a) “Council” means the blind and visual impairment education council. (b) “Visually impaired” has the meaning given in s. 115.51 (4). (2) The state superintendent shall seek the advice of and consult with…

115.372 Deaf and hard-of-hearing education council. (1) In this section: (a) “Council” means the deaf and hard-of-hearing education council. (b) “Hearing impaired” has the meaning given in s. 115.51 (2). (2) The state superintendent shall seek the advice of and consult with the c…

115.38 School performance report; educational program review. (1) The state superintendent shall develop a Updated 23-24 Wis. Stats. 18 school and school district performance report for use by school districts under sub. (2). The report shall include all of the following by schoo…

115.383 Student information system. (1) (a) Develop a proposal for a multiple-vendor student information system for the standardized collection of pupil data. The proposal shall allow schools and school districts to use their vendor of choice and include reporting requirements th…

115.385 School and school district accountability report. (1) Except as provided in sub. (6), annually by November 30, the department shall publish a school and school district accountability report that includes all of the following components: (a) Multiple measures to determine…

115.39 Literacy coaching program. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “CESA region” means the geographic territory within the boundaries of a cooperative educational service agency. (b) “Eligible school” means any of the following that does not provide instruction that incorpor…

115.405 Grant program for peer review and mentoring. (1) (a) A cooperative educational service agency or a consortium consisting of 2 or more school districts or cooperative educational service agencies, or a combination thereof, may apply to the department for a grant to provide…

115.41 Teacher improvement program. The state superintendent shall operate a program to provide prospective teachers with one-semester internships under the supervision of licensed teachers. The program may also fund in-service activities and professional staff development resear…

115.415 Educator effectiveness. (1) (a) The department shall develop an educator effectiveness evaluation system and an equivalency process aligned with the department’s evaluation system for the evaluation of teachers and principals of public schools, including teachers and prin…

115.42 Grants for national teacher certification or master educator licensure. (1) (a) The department shall award a grant to any person who satisfies all of the following requirements: 1. The person is certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or license…

115.423 Rural school teacher talent pilot program. From the appropriation under s. 20.255 (1) (eg), the department May 22, 2026, are designated by NOTES. (Published 5-22-26) 23 Updated 23-24 Wis. Stats. STATE SUPERINTENDENT; EDUCATION PROGRAMS shall award grants to cooperative ed…

115.425 Professional standards council for teachers. The professional standards council for teachers shall do all of the following: (1) Advise the state superintendent on standards for the licensure of teachers, including initial licensure and maintenance and renewal of licenses,…

115.43 Precollege scholarships. (1) DEFINITION. In this section, “ economically disadvantaged pupil” means a pupil who satisfies the income eligibility criteria for a free or reduced-price lunch under 42 USC 1758 (b) (1). (2) SCHOLARSHIPS. The state superintendent shall: (a) Annu…

115.435 Supplemental aid. (1g) In this section, “membership” has the meaning given in s. 121.004 (5). (1r) A school district that satisfies all of the following criteria may apply to the department by October 15 of each school year for a grant to supplement aid under s. 121.08: (…

115.436 Sparsity aid. (1) In this section, “membership” has the meaning given in s. 121.004 (5). (2) A school district is eligible for sparsity aid under sub. (3) (a) if it satisfies all of the following criteria: (a) The school district’s membership in the previous school year w…

115.437 (1), in school districts statewide to the total number of 115.37 pupils attending charter schools established under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) statewide in the current school year. (b) Divide the number of pupils enrolled, as defined in s. 115.437 (1), in the school district …

115.438 Personal electronic computing devices; grant program. (1) In this section: (a) “Membership” has the meaning given in s. 121.004 (5). (b) “Personal electronic computing device” means an electronic computing device that satisfies all of the following criteria: 1. The electr…

115.44 Early identification program. (1) The state superintendent shall establish an early identification program as part of the Wisconsin educational opportunity program under s. 115.28 (23). Early identification program costs shall be paid from the appropriation under s. 20.255…

115.445 Four-year-old kindergarten grants. (1) A school board may apply to the department for a 2-year grant under this section to implement a 4-year-old kindergarten program. (2) (a) In the first school year of a grant awarded under this section, the department shall pay the sch…

115.447 Summer school programs; grants. (1) In this section, “eligible school district” means a 1st class city school district. (2) Beginning in the 2018-19 school year and in each year thereafter, from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (dj), the department shall award grants…

115.45 Robotics league participation grants program. (1) In this section: (a) “Allowable expenses” includes fees, kits, and supplies required to participate in a robotics competition, travel expenses to a robotics competition for eligible team members, and a stipend for the mento…

115.455 Grant for information technology education. (1) (a) The department shall develop a competitive request-forproposal process for the award of a grant to an entity to provide information technology education opportunities to public school pupils in grades 6 to 12, technical …