Earlier this week, the federal Department of Education (DOE) partially denied Wisconsin’s plan for the third round of Elementary and Secondary Education Relief (ESSER III) funds. While the DOE approved 95% of our plan, they denied 5% of the plan, holding up $77 million of funding intended for K-12 education.
Back in May, Finance Republicans passed a plan that would have prioritized 5% of Wisconsin’s ESSER III funding towards schools that offered in-person instruction for at least 50% of the 2020-21 school year. We did this because we know in-person instruction is what’s best for our kids’ learning, as well as their social and emotional well-being. In fact, the federal DOE has even acknowledged that children were harmed by virtual learning and now stresses the importance of in-person instruction.
The denial of 5% of our plan by DOE affects $77 million of the total funding in the ESSER program. Fortunately, $1.4 billion will be automatically distributed to schools while we continue to work on a plan to provide the remaining $77 million to schools that prioritized in-person instruction when our kids needed it most.
A Century-Old Tradition Returns!
After almost two years without one, the Capitol Christmas Tree has finally returned! This year’s tree is a 32-foot balsam fir tree, which was donated by the Menominee Nation. The tree is decorated with ornaments which were handmade by school children with the theme “Hometown for the Holidays.”
The 2021 Wisconsin State Capitol Ornament celebrates Wisconsin’s century-old tradition of the Capitol Christmas Tree, which brings Christmas Cheer to the Capitol Rotunda each year. Visit the Wisconsin Historical Society website if you would like one for your home.
2021/2022 Winter Reading Challenge – now through January 31 – Oak Creek Public Library, 8040 S 6th St, Oak Creek https://oakcreeklibrary.org/wrc/
Lights on Edgewood (101.5 FM) – Fridays and Saturdays at 7pm (throughout the month of December) – 1322 Edgewood Ave, South Milwaukee https://www.facebook.com/LIGHTSONEDGEWOOD/
Oak Creek High School Theatre Presents: Crazy for You – December 10-11 at 7pm and December 12 at noon – Oak Creek PAEC, 340 E Puetz Rd, Oak Creek https://www.oakcreekpaec.com/tickets
