DOA:......Kretschmann, BB0166 - Early Literacy Coaches
For 2025-2027 Budget -- Not Ready For Introduction
An Act ...; relating to: the budget.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
EDUCATION
Primary and secondary education
Early literacy coaches
Under current law, the Office of Literacy in DPI must establish and supervise a literacy coaching program to improve literacy outcomes in this state. Specifically, the Office of Literacy, in consultation with cooperative educational service agencies, must contract for up to 64 full-time equivalent literacy coaches. Current law requires the Office of Literacy to assign one-half of the literacy coaches to schools based on pupil scores on the third grade reading assessment and one-half of the literacy coaches to schools that request early literacy support. The latter half of the literacy coaches must be dispersed evenly among cooperative educational service agency regions. In addition, current law prohibits the Office of Literacy from assigning more than a total of 10 literacy coaches to a first class city school district and more than a total of four literacy coaches to a school district that is not a first class city school district.
Under current law, the Office of Literacy and the literacy coaching program sunset on July 1, 2028. The bill eliminates this sunset. Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, the bill increases the maximum number of full-time equivalent literacy coaches to 100, increases the maximum number of literacy coaches that may be assigned to a first class city school district to 16, and increases the maximum number of literacy coaches that may be assigned to a school district that is not a first class city school district to six.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. 115.39 (2) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 115.39 (2) (a) (intro.) and amended to read:
115.39 (2) (a) (intro.) Contract with individuals who demonstrate knowledge and expertise in science-based early literacy instruction and instructional practices and have instructional experience in grades kindergarten to 12 to serve as literacy coaches. The office may not contract for more than 64 the following number of full-time equivalent positions under this paragraph.:
Section 2. 115.39 (2) (a) 1. of the statutes is created to read:
115.39 (2) (a) 1. In the 2025-26 school year, 64.
Section 3. 115.39 (2) (a) 2. of the statutes is created to read:
115.39 (2) (a) 2. In the 2026-27 and each school year thereafter, 100.
Section 4. 115.39 (3) (c) 1. (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.39 (3) (c) 1. (intro.) The total number of full-time equivalent literacy coaches assigned under pars. (a) and (b) in the 2025-26 school year to eligible schools located within the geographical boundaries of a school district may not exceed the following:
Section 5. 115.39 (3) (c) 1m. of the statutes is created to read:
115.39 (3) (c) 1m. Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, the total number of full-time equivalent literacy coaches assigned under pars. (a) and (b) to eligible schools located within the geographical boundaries of a school district may not exceed the following:
a. For a 1st class city school district, 16.
b. For a school district other than a 1st class city school district, 6.
(end)
