The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is returning to the Wisconsin Dells for its 11th annual WISEdata Conference on March 18 and 19. This gathering of school administrators and data coordinators comes as the agency tells state lawmakers in Madison that it is facing a dire fiscal crisis that could lead to staff layoffs.
The conference serves as a technical training site for DPI staff and the local school district employees who manage state reporting systems. While the agency calls the event a “community” effort, the choice of venue follows a pattern of spending that has already frustrated the Legislature. The DPI selected the same resort, Chula Vista, where it spent $368,885 on a four-day workshop in June of 2024.
For this month’s event, the DPI says the costs of rooms and travel are not covered by the state. However, that does not mean the public is off the hook. Local school districts often pick up the tab for resort stays using property tax revenue or federal grants.
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Per-pupil spending is at its highest level since 2000 even after adjusting for inflation, according to data from DPI.