Welcome to WiRSA!
(Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance)

We believe in strong schools and communities. Our priorities are to provide a unified voice for rural schools at the local, state, and federal levels, celebrate the incredible achievements of rural schools, and curate research, news, events, and resources for rural educators, including our annual WiRSA conference.

Why Join WiRSA?

You will provide much-needed financial assistance for our vital mission.
You will join a supportive network of rural schools for collaboration, networking, and unified advocacy efforts.
You will gain access to members-only resources and be the first to know about new research and events.
You will support over $15,000 in annual scholarships to Wisconsin students and student teachers in rural districts.
You will receive a discounted ticket to the annual WiRSA conference.

What People Are Saying

“I appreciate the weekly updates and interpretation of what's out in the field, educationally and legislatively, for rural schools. As a school superintendent, I don't have a lot of time to be wading through a lot of emails, and usually wait until I get the info from him.”

FAQs

What is the cost to join WiRSA?

Our membership fees have not increased since we instated them in 2012. All funds support the above-stated objectives.

School District Membership: $550
CESA Membership: $550
Institution of Higher Education Membership: $550
Public Library System Membership: $550
Associate Membership: $400
Individual Membership: $50
Student Membership: $25

How is WiRSA different from other professional organizations?

Our mission and messaging is dedicated to rural schools. While many other statewide organizations exist, and each serve administrators and schools in unique and important ways, none are focused exclusively on rural schools.

Our annual WiRSA conference is priced affordably for rural school leaders and friends of rural education to attend. The conference is designed for networking, learning, and peer-to-peer inspiration.

What makes Wisconsin’s rural schools special?

Staff in our rural schools are innovative, hard-working, and incredibly dedicated. They know what it means to do a lot with limited resources. These values are passed along to students, who often go on to achieve great things inside and outside of their hometowns.

Some believe that students in rural districts are getting a lower quality education, compared to their suburban/urban peers. That is patently false! Our rural schools produce high outcomes in higher education and career pathing, on par with K-12 schools across the state.

What challenges are unique to Wisconsin’s rural schools?

The statewide teacher shortage is hitting our rural districts the hardest. It is often difficult to attract educators to rural areas, especially in specialized fields like math and science.

Mental health programming is also challenging to integrate into rural districts, mainly due to staffing challenges. The same is true for attracting quality school administrators.

We are doing everything we can to overcome these pain points, including providing scholarships for student teachers in rural districts, working closely with UW Schools to improve teacher recruitment and education, and lobbying legislators to increase funding for public education.