Governor Tony Evers signed 2019 Wisconsin Act 185 (“Act 185” or “the Act”) into law on April 15, 2020. The Act produced a series of statutory changes concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on Wisconsin school districts. Nonstatutory Provisions On April 16, 2020, the Department of Public Instruction (“DPI” or “the Department”) emailed Wisconsin…
On April 1, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued regulations to clarify the paid leave provisions in the recently-enacted Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (FFCRA). The new regulations, which were effective as of April 2, 2020, provide detailed rules for implementing the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA) and the Emergency Family and…
As a result of the State of Wisconsin’s orders, which indefinitely closed public and private schools for purposes of pupil instruction and extracurricular activities, except for virtual learning, due to the health emergency caused by COVID-19, school districts have been forced to implement or expand virtual or remote learning programs. Such programs utilize video conferencing,…
In two previous Legal Updates, we addressed the Unemployment Insurance benefits in Wisconsin and the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. As our prior article on Unemployment Insurance benefits was drafted before the passage of the CARES Act, this Legal Update will provide additional information regarding those provisions of the CARES Act that…
On Friday March 27, 2020, President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) into law. The CARES Act is an 880 page economic stimulus package worth approximately $2 trillion that includes a relief intended to aid individuals, businesses, and governmental entities during the COVID-19 pandemic its associated economic consequences. This…
Claims for Unemployment Insurance benefits in Wisconsin spiked 1,111% this past week as a number of businesses elected to voluntarily close or were forced to close (at least temporarily) in response to COVID-19. Employees who are laid off or whose weekly hours or wages are reduced as a result of COVID-19 are potentially eligible for…
On February 5, 2020, 2019 Wisconsin Act 96 (Act 96) was enacted into law and subsequently became effective on February 6, 2020. Act 96 takes an important step in modernizing the manner in which school boards may notify their school board members of upcoming special meetings. In its previous form, Wis. Stat. § 120.11(2) provided…
A school district can lawfully limit parents’ communications with a school district and its personnel according to a recent federal court of appeals decision. L.F. et. al. v. Lake Washington School Dist., #414, No. 18-35792 (9th Cir. 1/17/20) (“Lake Washington School District”). Introduction School districts’ communications with parents[1] can be challenging and present a bedeviling subject for…