WI SB655

Department of Public Instruction (DPI) must award a contract through competitive bidding within 4 months of the bill's effective date to study school district consolidation in Wisconsin

Study must examine school district boundaries, facility conditions and capacity, staffing levels and salaries, debts and assets, pupil demographics and transportation, revenue limits, property tax rates, and geographic barriers to consolidation

Contracted entity must submit findings within 10 months, including current and 10-year projected school-age population for each district, facility conditions, and consolidation recommendations that are efficient, geographically feasible, and economically viable

For each recommended consolidation, the report must specify estimated enrollment, municipalities affected, existing school locations and grade levels served, and property values

DPI must request supplemental funding from Joint Committee on Finance by July 1, 2026, and submit the final report to JCF and relevant legislative standing committees