WCRIS is excited to welcome the Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority (WHEFA) as a sponsor again in 2024! WHEFA is a state-sanctioned agency that has been providing tax-exempt, capital financing assistance to Wisconsin non-profit organizations since 1979. Several WCRIS schools have worked with WHEFA, saving thousands of dollars on their building projects. WHEFA doesn’t use public funds so [...]
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Current Events
A library of WCRIS weekly E-letters that keeps you updated on issues of concern to private schools
Act Now for School Safety!
February 01, 2024
Please take less than 10 minutes to contact your lawmakers about Senate Bill 911 and its companion Assembly Bill 1001. This one-time, $30 million grant program would allow private and public schools to apply for funding for safety infrastructure updates – like updated locks, hardcore doors, intercom systems and alarms – as well as life-saving [...]
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There’s So Much to Celebrate
February 01, 2024
There’s always a reason to celebrate our schools, but the impact of private education and parental choice is nationally recognized each January and February. This week is National Catholic Schools Week, and the governor also proclaimed it Catholic Schools Week in Wisconsin. Last week was National Lutheran Schools Week and also National School Choice Week. (If we’re missing any other [...]
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Federal Gun Storage Letter Coming Your Way
February 01, 2024
In their effort to combat gun violence, the Biden-Harris Administration has issued a letter to principals nationwide about their initiative of safe firearms storage. All local leaders will be receiving the correspondence. WCRIS is notifying you so you don’t think the letter is a scam. The U.S. Department of Education’s letter is one piece of the three-prong federal initiative, [...]
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Chess Competition Looking for Participants
February 01, 2024
If your school has a chess team or club – or students who just like chess – the 2024 Wisconsin State Scholastic Chess Championship is calling for chess players in grades K-12. Students can compete on teams or individually. The event will be held March 23-24 at the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh. Go here for [...]
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ACTION NEEDED: Another Round of Safety Grants in Play
January 29, 2024
Because of WCRIS’ and our members’ advocacy, state lawmakers are considering passing a one-time, $30 million school safety grant program to protect our schools. But we need your help! What It Is Proposed state Senate Bill 911 (SB-911) and its companion Assembly Bill 1001 (AB-1001) would establish a school safety grant program that mirrors the state’s successful 2017 safety grant [...]
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New Parent Packet for the K-12 Tuition Tax Deduction
January 25, 2024
Did you know Wisconsin is one of only four states that have a state tax deduction for private K-12 school tuition? Because of WCRIS’ advocacy, private-school-tuition-paying parents and guardians have had the opportunity to reduce their tax liability for almost a decade. To help our schools spread the word to families, WCRIS has published a [...]
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Florida Lawmakers Seek Clarity for Non-profits
January 25, 2024
The day after WCRIS published last week’s story about three federal courts’ contradictory rulings on private schools’ tax-exempt status as federal financial assistance (FFA), the Council for American Private Education (CAPE) issued a notice that the federal “Safeguarding Charity Act” was introduced by Sen. Marco Rubio (R – Fla.) and Rep. Greg Steube (R – Fla.). [...]
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Thank You, PRA!
January 25, 2024
WCRIS is excited to welcome a new sponsor for 2024, Plunkett Raysich Architects, LLP (PRA)! Since 1935, PRA has completed more than a thousand educational projects and more than four hundred projects for faith-based organizations. PRA balances technical knowledge with aesthetic sensitivity in their projects to focus on student engagement, community building and reinforcing higher ideals. Learn [...]
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ICYMI: New FAFSA Form Released
January 25, 2024
The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) has been teasing a new form for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for months. But according to the DPI, it’s now officially ready and available online. Some experts are calling this the biggest overhaul of the application since the Reagan administration, featuring significantly less questions, adjusted formulas and more. [...]
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