Wisconsin
State Government
Governor
Tony Evers (D)
State Senate
10
Democrats,
22
Republicans
State House
35
Democrats,
41
Republicans
Economic well-being - Wisconsin
Extreme poverty rate
0.06
Food insecurity
0.118
Minimum wage
7.25
Percent of working families under 200% of the poverty line
0.251
Poverty rate
10.3%
Unemployment rate
3.1
Number of Black or African American children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
Number of Hispanic or Latino children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
Percent of individuals who are uninsured
5.3
Poverty by demographic - Wisconsin
Child poverty rate
0.12
Number of Asian and Pacific Islander children below 200% poverty
N/A
Number of Black or African American children below 200% poverty
67,000
Number of Hispanic or Latino children below 200% poverty
85,000
Senior poverty rate
10.0 %
Women in poverty
2,915,466
Wausau Daily Herald, March 29, 2012: Local school districts score above average on effectiveness tests
"Results from the math and reading scores are used in the federal No Child Left Behind Act to judge whether districts are making adequate yearly progress. Groups of students are segregated -- such as minorities or those from low-income families -- to ensure that all students' progress is measured."
Oshkosh Northwestern, February 14, 2012: School district seeks shift to digital textbooks
"With grant funding, the district has bought more than 400 iPads in the last year - a small step toward one for each of its 10,000 students. Most of them are in Jefferson, Merrill, Roosevelt and Washington elementary schools - schools given the 'School of Recognition' title because their students test better on state standardized tests than would be anticipated based on their poverty levels. A handful of the devices are also at West and North high schools."
The Journal Sentinel, February 14, 2012: Wis. Senate to consider cap on Family Care program
"Wisconsin lawmakers are considering whether to lift an unpopular cap to a state program that keeps elderly and disabled people out of nursing homes... Family Care helps about 43,000 low-income adults with developmental or physical disabilities avoid nursing home placements. Thousands are on a waiting list to enroll."
Oshkosh Northwestern, February 6, 2012: Oshkosh School board to vote on cutting teachers
"About 34 percent of Oshkosh high schoolers come from low-income families, according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. In 2010, 26 percent of low-income high school students had not obtained a regular high school diploma within four years.'These students need more from us, not less.'"
The Sheboygan Press, January 26, 2012: University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan to continue some Upward Bound components
"On the heels of an announcement that the Upward Bound program at the University of Wisconsin campuses in Sheboygan and Manitowoc would be shut down as of Feb. 1, the UW chancellor announced Wednesday that some components of the program will live on."
Green Bay Press-Gazette, January 19, 2012: Trying to shrink Green Bay dropout numbers
"In Green Bay, 3.3 percent of high school students dropped out in 2009-10, according to the most recently available data from the state Department of Public Instruction. That's higher than the statewide 2.2 percent average."