La Crosse schools are spending more than ever and still can't get 3 out of 4 kids to grade level in math.
We are organizing concerned residents to educate their neighbors, improve public policy at the local level, and safe our schools. Are you in?
La Crosse's educational failures: By the numbers
What the La Crosse School District spends annually, well above the Wisconsin state average. Only 28% of students test proficient in math and 35% in reading. The district ranks in the bottom 50% of all 443 Wisconsin school districts on combined test scores.
What La Crosse voters approved in April 2023 to keep the district running. Within a year, district officials were already warning of another significant deficit for 2025-26. The money ran out before the problem was solved.
The additional construction referendum the district put before voters in November 2024, to build new schools while closing four others due to declining enrollment. Enrollment has fallen for two decades. The price tag keeps going up.
Where La Crosse School District ranks among Wisconsin public school districts on combined math and reading performance. Bottom half of the state, below the Wisconsin averages of 40% math proficiency and 38% reading proficiency, in both categories.
What's Driving It
Policy Failures
A Funding Model That Guarantees Recurring Crisis
La Crosse schools have become structurally dependent on voter-approved referendums to fund basic operations. The 2023 operating referendum for $60 million was supposed to stabilize the district. Within months, officials were projecting yet another deficit. When a district cannot fund its day-to-day operations without going to voters every few years, it is not managing its finances. It is outsourcing the problem to taxpayers and hoping they keep saying yes.
Spending More on Fewer Students With Worse Results
La Crosse school enrollment has declined for two decades, yet per-student spending has climbed to $16,718 annually. The district is spending more per child than most of its peers while ranking in the bottom half of Wisconsin on academic performance. Closing schools, consolidating buildings, and asking for new construction money all at once is not a strategic plan. It is a reaction to a long-term structural problem that was never honestly addressed.
Wisconsin's Pandemic Learning Loss Compounded Existing Gaps
Statewide, 94% of Wisconsin students are in school districts where average reading achievement still sits below 2019 pre-pandemic levels, and 83% are below pre-pandemic math levels. La Crosse was already underperforming before the pandemic hit. The billions in federal relief dollars sent to Wisconsin schools have not closed the gap. La Crosse families funded that recovery effort through their federal taxes and their local referendums. They are still waiting for the results.
We Need Leaders Like You
Communities like yours need leaders to change children's outcomes. They're protected by driven residents who show up, speak out, and take action.
Education
Learn how the city council functions, how to speak at community events and to board members directly.
Connection
Connect with a growing network of neighbors who share your concerns and are ready to stand together and demand change.
Action
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Support
Ongoing help from experienced community advocates who've successfully driven change across La Crosse and other parts of Wisconsin.
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