Board member Lisa Pugh delivered a legislative update to the Stoughton Area School District Board of Education on district-level effects of recent state and federal actions.

Pugh said the federal government entered a shutdown just after midnight Oct. 1 and summarized guidance from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, saying, “DPI will remain in operation during the federal government shutdown.” She told the board that most federal education funds already granted to districts should continue to be drawn down, and that DPI expects to be able to pay September child-nutrition claims while awaiting direction from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The nut graf: The update matters because school funding and program operations — notably school meal reimbursements and certain federal grants — may be affected in the near term, and state-level bills could change district obligations or administrative requirements.

Pugh reviewed four points DPI communicated to districts: DPI operations continuing during the shutdown; most federal education grants remaining accessible; Impact Aid applying differently to some districts (and not to Stoughton); and DPI’s expectation that school-meal claims for September can be paid while USDA guidance is pending. She noted that child nutrition reimbursements are typically paid about 30 days after the end of the service month.

Pugh also told the board that the Department of Children and Families and DPI are updating model early learning standards for infants and toddlers and that a statewide feedback survey is open through October at dcf.wisconsin.gov.

On K–12 policy in Madison, Pugh summarized recent activity in the Assembly Education Committee, saying the committee had considered bills that would regulate access to school buildings by federally chartered groups, Scouting organizations and military recruiters. She also described three other bills the committee heard: one to allow certain summer-school experiences to count as a semester of required student teaching, another to require instruction on pregnancy and prenatal development as part of human growth and development curriculum, and a bill that would require DPI to certify a district’s financial reporting before the district could authorize a referendum.

Pugh flagged a bill to ease rehire rules for retired teachers as stalled in the legislature and relayed a request from the Wisconsin Association of School Boards for board members and community members to provide feedback and contact legislators. “The School Boards Association is asking for help for school districts and school board members and other interested parties to contact their legislators,” she said, and she noted a sample message tool is available through WASB communications.

Board member Mia Croyle then summarized a policy brief released in September by the University of Wisconsin–Madison and GSAFE, describing it as guidance for educators and school leaders about legal precedents supporting transgender-inclusive practices. Croyle said the brief reviews state law and court decisions and is a reference for districts that have questions about current policies.

No formal board action was taken on these items during the meeting. Board members were asked to provide feedback to WASB on its draft 2026 legislative agenda before the association’s board meeting on Nov. 7.

Ending: The board did not vote on local policy changes at this meeting; members were directed to the WASB and DCF resources and encouraged to contact legislators if they wish to support specific bills or state-level changes.