This paper explores the politicization of school reopenings in two swing states against the backdrop of rising COVID cases, public health warnings, and the hyper-partisan weaponization of "choice" rhetoric by parents to send children back into school. Rhetoric surrounding parental choice partnered with economic considerations placed…

This embedded mixed methods case study described the decision-making influences relevant to Wisconsin rural school district's consolidation. In 2015, Wisconsin's K-12 schools experienced financial cuts that were amongst the largest in the country. As a result, school district interest in consolidation was a natural topic of discussion for many of…

In April 2008, the Wisconsin Erie School District attempted and failed to pass a school bond referendum to renovate its high school. In November 2008, again the school district did not pass a referendum. Interestingly, in the 2009-2010 school year, the district was successful in passing a bond referendum. Although the original bond measure called…

Food insecurity is a growing concern for Eau Claire County residents in Western Wisconsin. A community-academic partnership studied food insecurity through the voices of families struggling to access food and institutions that assist with hunger related problems. Data were collected through focus groups held in urban and rural parts of the county.…

The role of the community in public education is rooted in the earliest beginnings of the American educational system. This exploratory and quantitative study examined what the superintendent does to lead the school district regarding community engagement, and also examined community member perceptions of that engagement. This was based on…

American Indian women are not strangers to leadership and power. In traditional tribal culture, women often hold positions of authority, participating in decisions affecting their families and communities. They are responsible for preserving values and culture as well as caring for their families. Many tribes use a matrilineal system in…

This paper presents the results of interviews with staff from 64 community organizations regarding their experiences with service-learners. One of the themes that emerged from the interviews focused on concerns related to short-term service-learning commitments that last a semester or less. We explore the challenges presented to community groups…

Background: Although rural adolescents use of alcohol is at some of the highest rates nationally, rural adolescent alcohol use has not been studied extensively. This study examines how community attitudes and behaviors are related to adolescent drinking in rural environments. Methods: Data were gathered in 22 rural communities in the Upper Midwest…

Results of a Wisconsin study and a national study indicate that media richness of a community is associated with greater diversity in the public problems agenda held by the citizens of that community. (GW)

A study examined the effects of several structural and individual variables on the perceived role of the media by media representatives and the general public. The focus of the study was on public perceptions of the media as "watchdog," but the images of the media as "guide dog,""rabid dog,""lap dog" and…

Conducted in 1979 to discover the extent of library use by Racine area residents, to determine their awareness of library services available, and to form conclusions and recommendations to help increase neighborhood use of the branch library, this study randomly sampled 179 residences using a questionnaire composed of 25 questions. The survey, in…

To assess the public image of the school board role, 1,794 randomly selected citizens in 12 Wisconsin school districts were interviewed concerning their perceptions of the school board and expectations for its operation. Questions covered (1) the relative importance of the school board role, (2) motivation for seeking the office, (3) expected…

The study analyzed support patterns for two predominant "liberal" development strategies ("growth centers" and the consolidation of government services) among elites from communities in a largely underdeveloped rural region of Wisconsin. Analytic focus was twofold: (1) to assess overall levels of support among community elites,…

Two-thirds of the 33,000 residents of Shawano County, Wisconsin, live in rural areas; agricultural interests comprise 30% of the employment economy. Inventories of Extension programs from 1960 to 1975 and telephone interviews with county and community leaders and a random sample of 1192 county residents yielded data for this survey. Most adults…

The Racine Unified School District, in Racine, Wisconsin in 1973 voluntarily adopted a resolution mandating that, in effect, no school in the district could have a minority enrollment greater than 30.7%. Kindergarten classes were not included in the desegregation plan. When the desegregation plan was adopted, some segments of the minority…