Agency Furlough Announcement

As part of an effort to close the state's multi-billion dollar budget deficit, all state of Wisconsin agencies are required to develop plans to manage mandated employee furloughs.

To accommodate this requirement, the Department of Public Instruction will close its Ashland, Eau Claire, Green Bay, Madison, Milwaukee, Racine, and Wausau offices to the public on the following days:

November 27, 2009
February 15, 2010
May 28, 2010

In addition, the department will have limited service on April 2, 2010.

Messages received on these dates will be returned as soon as possible after employees return to work. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

Breakfast grants awarded to 65 schools

Sixty-five public and private schools in Wisconsin are sharing more than $500,000 in federal funding to start school breakfast programs or to increase participation in an existing program.

"In these difficult economic times, school meals may be the only source of nutrition for many students," said State Superintendent Tony Evers. "A hungry child cannot concentrate on learning, and this funding helps us provide the added resources some children need in order to do well in school so they can graduate with the knowledge and skills needed for success in the workplace or further education."

This is the eighth year Wisconsin has received funding under a targeted school breakfast grant program championed by U.S. Senator Herb Kohl. "It's difficult for teachers to reach students and make the most of their classroom time if children start the day without a good, nutritious breakfast," Kohl said. "This grant funding will expand the program to cover more schools and continue the work we have started to get more students the nutrition they need."

In Wisconsin, 1,690 sites currently offer school breakfast compared to the 2,598 that serve school lunch. Those numbers are up from last year, when 1,530 sites offered breakfast and 2,474 sites offered lunch. Statewide, more than 125,000 school breakfasts are served each day, with 74 percent of the students eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

Additional information, including a list of Wisconsin schools and school districts receiving grants, is available in the complete news release. More information about school breakfast in Wisconsin can be found on the Department of Public Instruction School Breakfast Program website.

Last updated on 11/20/2009 12:25:15 PM