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PBS Wisconsin original
production.

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>> The president clears
nearly 30 million federal

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dollars to go to flood
victims in southeast

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Wisconsin.
This, as the Milwaukee

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County Executive,
officially enters the race

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for governor and
kindergarten to college.

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[MUSIC]
declining populations for

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years to come.
[MUSIC]

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Tonight on "Here& Now" how
state universities are

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tackling enrollment
problems with direct

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admission and what that
means.

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[MUSIC]
K-12 schools may soon be

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incentivized to consolidate.
Two districts are starting

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the process now. Emergency
officials are calling on

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the state to help with a
shortage of dispatchers,

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and tribal colleges remain
uncertain about the future

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of federal funding. It's
"Here& Now" for September

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12th.
[MUSIC]

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is provided by the Focus
Fund for Journalism and

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Friends of PBS Wisconsin.
>> Reaction in Wisconsin to

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the assassination of
Charlie Kirk in Utah this

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week was swift and unified.
Democratic Governor Tony

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Evers saying, quote,
violence against anyone

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beliefs is wrong. Violence
against others is wrong.

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Violence is never the
answer for resolving our

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differences or
disagreements. Wisconsin

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Republican Party Chairman
Bryan Schimming said the

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political violence that we
have seen in recent years

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must come to an end. As
Americans, we need to stand

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against these violent
attacks.

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>> Donald Trump is on a
rescue mission to revive

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your birthright.
>> An ardent Donald Trump

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supporter, Kirk was a
prominent figure in

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Wisconsin battleground
campaigns, delivering

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remarks at last summer's
Republican National

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Convention and a GOP
rallies across the state.

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Lawmakers at the state
Capitol late this week

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discussed increased
security following the

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assassinations of Kirk and
of a Minnesota state

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legislator and her husband
in June in state education

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news. With the start of the
new academic year.

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Estimates show freshman
enrollment is up at

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universities of Wisconsin
schools this fall. That's

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after six branch campuses
closed or stopped in-person

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classes in the last three
years, according to the UW.

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New student enrollment is
up a total of 3%, with

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eight campuses seeing
increases at or above 5%.

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Overall enrollment at the
UW stands at more than

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164,000 students. System
President Jay Rothman says

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the new Direct Admit
program is attracting new

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students. Under the program,
qualified high school

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juniors get direct
admission based on grades

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and coursework. UW-Madison,
Eau Claire and La Crosse do

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not participate. But
Wisconsin high school

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applicants ranking in the
top 5% are guaranteed

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admission to UW-Madison
under a different program.

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UW-Madison Professor of
Education Taylor Odle

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conducts national research
on direct admission

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programs. He joins us now.
Thanks for being here.

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>> Thanks so much for the
invitation.

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see your research in action
like this?

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>> I think that's every
researcher's dream. We we

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work a lot. We work with a
lot of data, talk to a lot

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of policymakers. And the
ultimate goal at the end of

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the day is that what we do
matters. And that's also

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true of the Wisconsin idea
that we care about here at

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UW-Madison, that the
insights that we produce

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actually make their hands
into or make their way into

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the hands of policymakers
and into the lives of

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people who live across the
state.

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Rothman says our Direct
Admit program is driving

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new enrollment. Why do
these programs work?

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>> They work because we
make it easier for people

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to take us up on our offers
of admission. The pathway

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to getting into college.
And this doesn't have

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anything to do with
eliminating or reducing

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standards of admission. It
has to do with simplifying

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the pathway. And so we know
that students and families

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have to navigate a lot of
complex red tape, applying

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sending transcripts, taking
tests, getting letters of

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Rec, etc. etc. And so if we
implement programs like

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their way through that red
tape and say, hey, we know

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that you're admissible.
Tell us when you want to

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come to campus because we
want you to be here.

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Surprisingly, more people
show up on campus when we

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make it easier for them to
do so.

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>> And yet, not all people
who get that letter that

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say you've been directly
admitted to, you know, one

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of these schools across the
state and roll, why

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wouldn't they?
There are myriad reasons of

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why people choose to go to
college, and also why they

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choose not to go to college.
And so getting admitted,

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getting that letter,
piece of the puzzle. But we

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also know there are other
things that impact whether

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or not people come to
college, principally

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whether or not they can
afford it. But also there

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are a variety of other
factors. You may be a

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single parent. You may also
be working while while

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learning and supporting
your parents, doing some

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other engagement with the
community as well. And so

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it's just one piece of the
puzzle, but it seems like

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that piece has been
important for getting more

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students to show up on
campus.

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>> A similar program that
you developed in Tennessee

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also has a personalized
financial aid estimates

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feature attached to it. How
important a piece is that

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for students and families?
That piece in Tennessee.

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>> We think it's critical
because it changes the

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message from there's a spot
for you on campus to

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there's a spot for you on
campus, and there are

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resources to help you
afford it. So it pushes

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people further down the
college going pathway by

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letting them know what
their options are for where

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they can go, but also what
their options are for how

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they can pay for it.
Students and families often

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face this kind of big,
amorphous number of how

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much does it really cost?
And they have to complete

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things like the Fafsa and
hear from their campus

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about how much it's going
to cost at the end of the

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day. And so if we can
provide a little bit more

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of that information up
front, we hope that it

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helps kind of create a
snowball effect, if you

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will. They're more likely
to file that Fafsa, more

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likely to engage with the
campus so they have a

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>> Is that something that
could attach to the

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Wisconsin program as well?
>> Absolutely, yes. So

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we're actually using
exists on these students,

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such as their GPA, much
like Direct Admit Wisconsin.

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They guarantee does here to
know whether or not

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students would be eligible
for merit based financial

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aid. Some other states,
like the state of

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Washington, are actually
using K-12 records on free

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and reduced price lunch,
and also students

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participation in Snap and
TANF and other things to

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actually pre award them
need based financial aid.

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So there's some bubbling of
this across the country and

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we'd love to see it in
Wisconsin for sure.

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declining enrollments have
schools for decades. How

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meaningful can Direct Admit
programs be toward pulling

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as many new students in,
even as demographics work

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against that?
>> They can be critical

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because, as you mentioned,
demographics are also

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student who shows up on
campus today isn't

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necessarily look like the
student who showed up on

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campus 30 years ago. Many
students who are showing up,

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whether they're students
who weren't originally born

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in the US or students of
color, students from very

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rural backgrounds, students
from low income families,

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of barriers in navigating
that college application

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admissions in many ways is
designed for them. It

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eliminates those barriers
completely and says, hey,

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you've done a really great
job academically. There is

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a place for you on campus.
And I think this is why,

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and I'm happy to see this
system attributing a lot of

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these enrollment increases
programs like this, because

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they're kind of common
sense, I think, all around.

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>> So J. Rothman also notes
that the new enrollment

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numbers show there are
significant declines in

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international students, as
we would have expected up

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to 15% nationwide. I don't
know where we square with

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that right at this moment,
but what kind of losses

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that to campus communities?
>> It's a large loss, right?

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So in the student
interpersonal aspect of not

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being engaged or not being
exposed to students of

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varying cultural or ethnic
or religious backgrounds,

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which is a hallmark, I
think, of the college

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experience. It's also
critically important for

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our institutions. We are
facing lagging and slow

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support from the state.
We're facing reductions

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from the federal government
in funds for research

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dollars. And now students,
particular international

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students who pay out of
state tuition. And so we're

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in a particularly hard
place. And so losing this

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population not only has an
academic loss for campuses,

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but a financial one as well.
>> We leave it there.

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UW-Madison Professor Taylor
O'Toole, thanks very much.

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>> Thanks.
>> In the case of Wisconsin

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K-12 schools, enrollment
has been on a steady slide.

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In the 20 2425 school year,
there were 68,000 fewer

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students than in 2005.
Enrollment figures for this

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year aren't tallied until
the third week in September.

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Declines in school
populations mirror declines

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in the state population and
birth rates. School

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buildings being emptied out
is happening all over the

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state, an issue lawmakers
are hoping to address this

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fall by helping districts
consolidate.

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>> Because student
enrollment is the primary

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driver of our state's
school funding formula,

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districts experiencing
declining enrollment

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receive less money in state
aid. So to make up for this,

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many districts go to
referendum and they raise

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local property tax bills to
pay for increasingly empty

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buildings. The already
heavy burden on taxpayers

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will only get worse over
time.

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>> This is especially true
for rural districts. We

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embarking on consolidation
in the small Clark County

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cities of Loyal and
Greenwood. For more on this,

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we turn to Greenwood
District Administrator Jo

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Green and loyal
administrator Chris Lindner.

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And thanks to both of you
for being here.

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>> You bet. Thank you very
much for having us, Jo.

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>> Are these enrollment
numbers kind of the tipping

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point for what prompted the
moves to consolidate?

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>> It's definitely one of
the factors. It's a

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significant factor. I think
that, you know, when you

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think about factors of why
we look to consolidate,

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it's it's the declining
enrollment paired with the

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increasing difficulty to
hire highly qualified staff,

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which is then also, you
know, paired with creating

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more opportunities for our
kids and maintaining the

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opportunities that our kids
need to be college and

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career ready when they
leave the district.

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>> What is the mood among
residents for and families

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for this consolidation?
>> So this has been

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something that has been
talked about since 1960,

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early 2000. I think it was
approached once, if not

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twice, actually had a vote
on it, had a study done

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with it, and it did not
pass. We so it seems like

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every 20 years this this
continues to come up. And

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we are at 20, 25, 26 school
year, I believe community

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members, families are, are,
are ready to make that move.

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I know there's questions
out there. We we have done

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a number of things in the
last 2 or 3 years to help

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alleviate some of the pain
with co-opting a number of

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sports. Our marching band
is co-opt. We share some

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00:12:06,927 --> 00:12:11,198
students back and forth for
classes. Some of your

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higher end classes that may
not run because or you run

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with 3 or 4 kids. Now you
can add some more kids to

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make it a little more
efficient for that teacher,

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communities which which
according to the advisory

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vote that we had last
spring, are for it and want

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to do something moving
forward to help alleviate,

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you know, what I'll say is,
is higher taxes and the

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operating referendums.
>> What are your opinions

235
00:12:47,134 --> 00:12:50,938
of the state right now
saying taking an interest

236
00:12:51,004 --> 00:12:53,740
in helping districts,
potentially incentivizing

237
00:12:53,807 --> 00:12:58,478
districts to consolidate?
>> Well, I it's music to

238
00:12:59,813 --> 00:13:02,516
our ears that there's
there's some interest.

239
00:13:02,583 --> 00:13:07,020
There was interest years
ago. And I think I'm

240
00:13:07,087 --> 00:13:10,591
cautiously optimistic that
they will they will take

241
00:13:10,657 --> 00:13:13,927
interest in in
consolidation. But again

242
00:13:13,994 --> 00:13:18,232
you know, what I would hate
to see is, is take the

243
00:13:18,298 --> 00:13:21,435
local control away from
consolidation is not right

244
00:13:21,502 --> 00:13:23,637
for everybody. I mean, the
school districts of

245
00:13:23,704 --> 00:13:26,840
Greenwood and Loyal are are
going down this road for

246
00:13:26,907 --> 00:13:31,245
for good reason. And and
the reasons are you know,

247
00:13:31,311 --> 00:13:34,748
we have similar a similar
tax base. We have a similar

248
00:13:34,815 --> 00:13:38,252
mill rate. Neither one of
us have debt. We're six

249
00:13:38,318 --> 00:13:41,555
miles apart. We share the
same bus service. There's a

250
00:13:41,622 --> 00:13:45,425
lot of lot of things that
make sense for our district,

251
00:13:45,492 --> 00:13:47,828
but that that don't
necessarily make sense for

252
00:13:47,895 --> 00:13:52,466
every district. So I hope
that the I hope the state

253
00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:56,637
supports in there. If there
is legislation, I hope they

254
00:13:56,703 --> 00:13:59,673
support the local control
that districts have. If

255
00:13:59,740 --> 00:14:02,643
they decide that this is
the right course of action

256
00:14:02,709 --> 00:14:05,746
to to help their districts
out.

257
00:14:05,812 --> 00:14:09,650
>> Chris, thoughts on that?
>> I would say throughout

258
00:14:09,716 --> 00:14:12,486
the state, you have a lot
of districts that are

259
00:14:12,553 --> 00:14:17,057
probably watching Doyle and
Greenwood to see what

260
00:14:17,124 --> 00:14:21,461
happens there. I hear it a
lot of superintendent

261
00:14:21,528 --> 00:14:24,731
conferences or meetings,
just that if we don't start

262
00:14:24,798 --> 00:14:26,934
working together and not
just Loyal and Greenwood,

263
00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:30,604
but all our districts, we
will be on an island by

264
00:14:30,671 --> 00:14:34,575
ourselves. And it won't be.
It will be a sinking ship

265
00:14:34,641 --> 00:14:37,678
or island, whatever you
want to say. Deserted. So

266
00:14:37,744 --> 00:14:42,683
we need to work together
and help not only survive,

267
00:14:42,749 --> 00:14:45,619
but to thrive.
>> Are you hopeful this

268
00:14:45,686 --> 00:14:49,489
will this will happen. And
when? By 2028. Is that

269
00:14:49,556 --> 00:14:52,659
right?
>> Yeah. We've been meeting

270
00:14:52,726 --> 00:14:57,130
as joint boards for the
better part of a year

271
00:14:57,197 --> 00:15:01,535
regularly to, you know,
work through this process.

272
00:15:01,602 --> 00:15:06,807
And our joint boards just
earlier this week passed a

273
00:15:06,874 --> 00:15:11,078
motion, both passed a
motion that there will be a

274
00:15:11,144 --> 00:15:15,349
a binding question on the
November 2026 ballot that

275
00:15:15,415 --> 00:15:20,020
if both communities approve
that question, then it's

276
00:15:20,087 --> 00:15:24,091
it's a binding
process to consolidate July

277
00:15:25,726 --> 00:15:28,962
1st, 2028.
>> Okay. Well, we really

278
00:15:30,764 --> 00:15:34,801
appreciate you taking your
time out today to talk with

279
00:15:34,868 --> 00:15:37,704
us. Joe Greene from
Greenwood Schools and Chris

280
00:15:37,771 --> 00:15:40,707
Lindner Local Schools,
thanks very much. Good luck.

281
00:15:40,774 --> 00:15:44,578
>> Thank you. Thank you.
>> A legislative hearing at

282
00:15:44,645 --> 00:15:46,480
the Capitol this week
focused on staffing

283
00:15:46,547 --> 00:15:49,883
shortages in law
enforcement, looking at

284
00:15:49,950 --> 00:15:52,753
county jurisdictions in
particular.

285
00:15:52,819 --> 00:15:55,789
of the emergency?
>> One place staffing

286
00:15:55,856 --> 00:15:58,725
shortages are being felt
acutely across the state.

287
00:15:58,792 --> 00:16:02,663
In 911 emergency call
centers among dispatchers.

288
00:16:02,729 --> 00:16:05,566
What has led to shortages
and what can be done about

289
00:16:05,632 --> 00:16:09,803
it? We turn to Columbia
County Sheriff Roger

290
00:16:09,870 --> 00:16:11,972
the Capitol. And Sheriff,
thanks very much for being

291
00:16:12,039 --> 00:16:13,407
here.
>> You're welcome. Glad to

292
00:16:13,473 --> 00:16:16,343
be here.
>> So describe the shortage

293
00:16:16,410 --> 00:16:18,846
of dispatchers in your
county.

294
00:16:18,912 --> 00:16:22,783
>> Yeah, I think we're
consistent with the rest of

295
00:16:22,850 --> 00:16:27,254
the 901 PSAP dispatch
centers across the state.

296
00:16:27,321 --> 00:16:29,823
There's been a struggle to
get qualified dispatchers

297
00:16:29,890 --> 00:16:32,759
in the door and get them
trained in our county.

298
00:16:32,826 --> 00:16:36,630
We're we're four short.
We've been 4 to 5 short for

299
00:16:36,697 --> 00:16:39,967
just over a year and a half,
which puts a, you know, a

300
00:16:40,033 --> 00:16:41,735
great strain on the other
dedicated dispatchers that

301
00:16:41,802 --> 00:16:44,771
are currently there.
>> Yeah, indeed. Now, I

302
00:16:44,838 --> 00:16:47,741
read that the pay is
between about 50 and

303
00:16:47,808 --> 00:16:52,846
$70,000 a year. Why is it
hard to fill a retain these

304
00:16:52,913 --> 00:16:55,582
positions? Is it that the
pay cannot make up for the

305
00:16:55,649 --> 00:16:59,119
stress of the job?
>> Well, I think it's a

306
00:16:59,186 --> 00:17:03,657
combination of both. You
know, most dispatchers

307
00:17:03,724 --> 00:17:06,693
around the area are going
to be making around that 25,

308
00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:10,797
$26 an hour. You know,
which is not a bad paying

309
00:17:10,864 --> 00:17:13,767
job, but you're working
nights, weekends, holidays.

310
00:17:13,834 --> 00:17:17,471
It's not Monday through
Friday shift work. These

311
00:17:17,538 --> 00:17:22,009
are long hours. Very
stressful. You know, if you

312
00:17:23,844 --> 00:17:26,647
taking that call from that
mom whose young child is

313
00:17:26,713 --> 00:17:30,684
not breathing or from a car
accident or a domestic, you

314
00:17:30,751 --> 00:17:35,255
know, or a sexual assault,
there's a lot of stressful

315
00:17:35,322 --> 00:17:37,891
calls. And these
dispatchers are the ones

316
00:17:37,958 --> 00:17:41,028
that answer that call to
get the first responders to

317
00:17:41,094 --> 00:17:42,963
that scene.
>> And and so with a

318
00:17:43,030 --> 00:17:47,301
shortage, in addition to,
to that, they're working a

319
00:17:47,367 --> 00:17:50,137
lot of overtime hours.
>> Oh, absolutely. I know

320
00:17:50,204 --> 00:17:53,874
dispatch centers across the
state that have contracted

321
00:17:53,941 --> 00:17:57,477
with other dispatch centers.
I know one county where the

322
00:17:57,544 --> 00:17:59,913
sheriff is actually
dispatching at night

323
00:17:59,980 --> 00:18:02,683
because they're so short.
Our dispatchers are working

324
00:18:02,749 --> 00:18:05,118
a lot of overtime. It's
nothing. Nothing for them

325
00:18:05,185 --> 00:18:08,789
to work 20 extra hours in
addition to their 40 hours

326
00:18:08,856 --> 00:18:11,024
a week.
>> What does a shortage of

327
00:18:11,091 --> 00:18:14,595
dispatchers mean for
emergency response in your

328
00:18:14,661 --> 00:18:17,965
community and others?
>> Yeah, I mean, we've been

329
00:18:18,031 --> 00:18:20,701
able to backfill it with
our dedicated men and women

330
00:18:20,767 --> 00:18:23,003
in our dispatch center. But
the fear across the state

331
00:18:23,070 --> 00:18:27,140
and in our county
especially, is when they

332
00:18:27,207 --> 00:18:30,711
burn out and they leave and
we get any shorter, we're

333
00:18:30,777 --> 00:18:33,547
going to struggle with
having someone answer that

334
00:18:33,614 --> 00:18:37,718
call for service. When
someone calls for that,

335
00:18:37,784 --> 00:18:40,888
that immediate need of fire,
EMS or law enforcement, you

336
00:18:40,954 --> 00:18:44,758
know, we need a proper,
timely response. We need a

337
00:18:44,825 --> 00:18:47,094
trained dispatcher to
gather all the adequate

338
00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:49,997
information to get the
right first responders

339
00:18:50,063 --> 00:18:53,000
there. And if they're tired,
if they're calling in sick,

340
00:18:53,066 --> 00:18:55,903
if we don't have the staff
to to sit in that dispatch

341
00:18:55,969 --> 00:18:59,373
center, there's going to be
a delay in first responder

342
00:18:59,439 --> 00:19:03,343
services, which is a public
safety issue.

343
00:19:03,877 --> 00:19:07,614
you is that as the lead law
enforcement official in

344
00:19:07,681 --> 00:19:12,186
your county, to be worrying
about emergency response

345
00:19:12,252 --> 00:19:15,389
times?
>> Oh, it's it's critical.

346
00:19:16,890 --> 00:19:20,761
This has been our number
one focus in our county for

347
00:19:20,827 --> 00:19:24,932
about the last year.
There's no question there's

348
00:19:24,998 --> 00:19:27,968
law enforcement officers
that work the street, our

349
00:19:28,035 --> 00:19:31,171
jailers and our county
jails. Many county jails

350
00:19:31,238 --> 00:19:36,243
are not at full staff. But
our dispatch center. I mean,

351
00:19:37,811 --> 00:19:40,681
they have to be there. They
have to answer that, that

352
00:19:40,747 --> 00:19:44,551
call for service. They they
just have to we have to

353
00:19:44,618 --> 00:19:46,753
have someone sitting in
those chairs and there

354
00:19:46,820 --> 00:19:49,289
cannot be a delay. Seconds
truly make a difference

355
00:19:49,356 --> 00:19:52,793
when you're calling for
assistance.

356
00:19:52,860 --> 00:19:55,662
>> What are some of the
solutions being looked at?

357
00:19:55,729 --> 00:19:58,732
>> Well, our county
specifically, we really did

358
00:19:58,799 --> 00:20:03,704
a an adjustment of pay. We
did some premium incentives

359
00:20:03,770 --> 00:20:08,842
for working at night and on
weekends. We have done some

360
00:20:08,909 --> 00:20:13,814
other financial type of
incentives. So if you're

361
00:20:13,881 --> 00:20:16,817
here a year, three years,
five years, you get a bonus.

362
00:20:16,884 --> 00:20:20,821
We have changed the hours.
One unique thing with us is

363
00:20:20,888 --> 00:20:22,789
we just consolidated the
Wisconsin Dells Police

364
00:20:22,856 --> 00:20:26,393
Department's dispatch
center, which, you know,

365
00:20:26,460 --> 00:20:30,564
was about $1 million
project. And we had to

366
00:20:30,631 --> 00:20:34,334
increase our space up there.
Our dispatch stations, the

367
00:20:34,401 --> 00:20:38,805
equipment, update them. So
that was a big project, you

368
00:20:38,872 --> 00:20:41,775
know, because Wisconsin
Dells area is is busy in

369
00:20:41,842 --> 00:20:44,111
the summertime especially.
But, you know, actually all

370
00:20:44,178 --> 00:20:46,980
12 months out of the year
now. So we've we've given

371
00:20:47,047 --> 00:20:50,751
them more help. We've we've
increased, you know, some

372
00:20:50,817 --> 00:20:53,654
of the the little things up
there, as crazy as it

373
00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:57,357
sounds, we got them a
treadmill. We started some

374
00:20:57,424 --> 00:21:01,995
yoga classes here. We do a
lot of stress management

375
00:21:02,062 --> 00:21:04,865
with helping them cope with
the stress of taking these

376
00:21:04,932 --> 00:21:07,000
calls. Because our
dispatchers work 12 hours a

377
00:21:07,067 --> 00:21:10,003
shift, and that's a long
time to be sitting there,

378
00:21:10,070 --> 00:21:12,573
and they don't get the
opportunity, like so many

379
00:21:12,639 --> 00:21:14,842
other workers, to get up
and walk around, to move

380
00:21:14,908 --> 00:21:17,878
around, to leave the
station and go get fresh

381
00:21:17,945 --> 00:21:21,181
air outside. They have to
stay close to that radio at

382
00:21:21,248 --> 00:21:25,652
any given second. That
Roger Brandner, thanks very

383
00:21:25,719 --> 00:21:27,387
much.
you.

384
00:21:28,889 --> 00:21:31,992
>> In northern Wisconsin,
the state's two tribal

385
00:21:32,059 --> 00:21:35,362
colleges stand to lose more
than half of their federal

386
00:21:35,429 --> 00:21:38,866
funding if Congress
approves President Trump's

387
00:21:38,932 --> 00:21:41,869
2026 budget next month.
Here and now. Reporter Eric

388
00:21:41,935 --> 00:21:44,805
Ayisi traveled to one of
the colleges, Lac Courte

389
00:21:44,872 --> 00:21:47,975
Oreilles Ojibwe University
in Hayward, where they say

390
00:21:48,041 --> 00:21:50,744
they are devastated but
working with their tribal

391
00:21:50,811 --> 00:21:52,679
leaders and Congress to
maintain their funding

392
00:21:52,746 --> 00:21:55,916
levels. This report is in
collaboration with Icct,

393
00:21:55,983 --> 00:21:58,986
formerly Indian Country
Today.

394
00:22:01,021 --> 00:22:05,058
>> Oscar Reo is a freshman
education major at the Lac

395
00:22:05,125 --> 00:22:09,429
Courte Oreilles Ojibwe
also an enrolled member of

396
00:22:09,496 --> 00:22:13,634
the Sainte Marie Tribe of
Chippewa Indians.

397
00:22:15,602 --> 00:22:19,540
Gingrich Gaza.
to teach Ojibwe and Native

398
00:22:19,606 --> 00:22:22,876
American language.
>> I'm excited. I think

399
00:22:22,943 --> 00:22:24,578
I'll get there pretty
quickly here. There's a lot

400
00:22:24,645 --> 00:22:26,580
of people that are good
teachers and a lot of

401
00:22:26,647 --> 00:22:29,650
people that speak Ojibwa
here.

402
00:22:29,716 --> 00:22:31,952
staff at tribal
institutions like Lac

403
00:22:32,019 --> 00:22:34,821
Courte Oreilles Ojibwe
University are facing a

404
00:22:34,888 --> 00:22:38,192
massive federal threat this
October under President

405
00:22:38,258 --> 00:22:41,895
Donald Trump's 2020 budget
proposal, leaving Reo

406
00:22:41,962 --> 00:22:45,966
educational goals ambiguous.
>> I don't know about my

407
00:22:46,033 --> 00:22:49,903
ability to continue, but I
think there's a lot of

408
00:22:49,970 --> 00:22:53,040
progress that's trying to
be made here, especially

409
00:22:53,106 --> 00:22:56,176
within the language program
that hopefully doesn't get

410
00:22:56,243 --> 00:22:59,079
halted because of it.
>> The Trump administration

411
00:22:59,146 --> 00:23:02,049
is requesting $22 million
for post-secondary Indian

412
00:23:02,115 --> 00:23:06,887
education programs,
compared to $191 million

413
00:23:06,954 --> 00:23:11,692
requested for 2025. Karen
Breit, interim president of

414
00:23:11,758 --> 00:23:14,061
the Lac Courte Oreilles
Ojibwe University, says

415
00:23:14,127 --> 00:23:17,331
federal funding is the
university's major

416
00:23:17,397 --> 00:23:21,301
operating resource.
>> Over 80% of our funding

417
00:23:21,368 --> 00:23:24,938
comes from federal funds.
>> How will the university

418
00:23:25,005 --> 00:23:27,374
survive?
>> We're working on

419
00:23:27,441 --> 00:23:31,512
different initiatives with
our government on that side

420
00:23:31,578 --> 00:23:34,915
of generating different,
different revenue for the

421
00:23:34,982 --> 00:23:37,985
institution.
university is looking to

422
00:23:38,051 --> 00:23:40,854
the Lac Courte Oreilles
Ojibwe Tribal Nation and

423
00:23:40,921 --> 00:23:42,589
other donors for support,
but challenges with the

424
00:23:42,656 --> 00:23:45,459
Department of Education
persist.

425
00:23:45,526 --> 00:23:50,330
>> We're the department
administers our ability to

426
00:23:51,698 --> 00:23:54,835
access federal funds right
now. We're having some

427
00:23:54,902 --> 00:23:58,705
struggles with that.
>> Gabbard Wiggins NewsHour.

428
00:23:58,772 --> 00:24:01,975
>> They are also struggling
to keep university staff on

429
00:24:02,042 --> 00:24:06,079
to address student advisory
jobs eliminated by the Doe

430
00:24:06,146 --> 00:24:08,949
like academic coaches.
>> The institution is

431
00:24:09,016 --> 00:24:13,687
working to to figure out a
plan to to keep some of the

432
00:24:14,855 --> 00:24:18,492
coaches with us so that
they can continue to do the

433
00:24:18,559 --> 00:24:21,728
work.
>> Breit says the increase

434
00:24:21,795 --> 00:24:24,064
in credit hours for Pell
Grant eligibility could

435
00:24:24,131 --> 00:24:27,801
affect half of the student
population, who also work

436
00:24:27,868 --> 00:24:31,338
part time.
requirement would really

437
00:24:32,039 --> 00:24:36,944
have a huge impact on their
ability to to afford school.

438
00:24:37,010 --> 00:24:39,646
>> 70% of the students here
are Native American. The

439
00:24:39,713 --> 00:24:42,816
United States has a federal
trust responsibility to

440
00:24:42,883 --> 00:24:45,619
provide support for Native
Americans in exchange for

441
00:24:45,686 --> 00:24:49,156
their land.
>> It is an obligation. It

442
00:24:49,923 --> 00:24:54,595
is an in the treaties. It
is in writing and a promise

443
00:24:56,196 --> 00:24:59,533
that was made. And
education is part of that

444
00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:03,003
promise.
administration aiming to

445
00:25:03,070 --> 00:25:06,073
cut at least 80% of funding
to the Bureau of Indian

446
00:25:06,139 --> 00:25:10,444
Education for 2026. The
impact will be felt here on

447
00:25:10,511 --> 00:25:13,981
campus and in the
surrounding community.

448
00:25:14,047 --> 00:25:18,185
>> Tribal communities are
often in rural areas,

449
00:25:18,252 --> 00:25:22,089
remote areas of the country,
and so having access to

450
00:25:22,155 --> 00:25:24,791
higher education within
within your home community

451
00:25:24,858 --> 00:25:28,128
is tremendous for for
tribal people.

452
00:25:28,195 --> 00:25:31,198
>> The House Subcommittee
on Appropriations approved

453
00:25:31,265 --> 00:25:34,535
$1.5 billion for the Bureau
of Indian Education in July.

454
00:25:34,601 --> 00:25:37,638
However, those funds were
not specified for tribal

455
00:25:37,704 --> 00:25:42,643
colleges and universities.
>> No vowels are Teigen

456
00:25:42,709 --> 00:25:45,179
none.
academic year with a

457
00:25:46,013 --> 00:25:49,983
potentially massive federal
funding reduction lurking

458
00:25:50,050 --> 00:25:53,153
in Congress.
>> They're trying to start

459
00:25:53,220 --> 00:25:56,990
new programs and new hire,
new teachers and everything.

460
00:25:57,057 --> 00:26:01,028
And hopefully that doesn't
get messed with.

461
00:26:01,094 --> 00:26:03,630
>> Reporting from the Lac
Courte Oreilles reservation.

462
00:26:03,697 --> 00:26:07,367
I'm Erica Ayisi for "Here&
Now" and ICT.

463
00:26:08,468 --> 00:26:12,139
>> For more on this and
other issues facing

464
00:26:12,206 --> 00:26:14,474
Wisconsin, visit our
website at PBS Wisconsin.

465
00:26:14,541 --> 00:26:17,945
Org and then click on the
news tab. That's our

466
00:26:18,011 --> 00:26:20,981
program for tonight I'm
Frederica Freyberg. Have a

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good weekend.
[MUSIC]

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.
>> Funding for "Here& Now"

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is provided by the Focus
Fund for Journalism and

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Friends of PBS Wisconsin.