2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
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2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 3
February 3, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives MELOTIK, BEHNKE, BRILL,
DITTRICH, DONOVAN, GOODWIN, GUNDRUM, KNODL, KREIBICH, MURPHY,
MURSAU, TUSLER, VOS, WICHGERS and PIWOWARCZYK, cosponsored by
Senators NASS, CABRAL-GUEVARA and WANGGAARD. Referred to Committee on
Education.
***AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***
AN ACT to create 115.28 (55p), 118.40 (2r) (b) 2. m., 118.40 (2x) (b) 2. m., 118.60
(2) (a) 10., 119.23 (2) (a) 10. and 121.02 (1) (k) 4. of the statutes; relating to:
incorporating cursive writing into the state model English language arts
standards and requiring cursive writing in elementary grades.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires the state superintendent of public instruction to incorporate
cursive writing into the model academic standards for English language arts. The
bill also requires all school boards, independent charter schools, and private schools
participating in a parental choice program to include cursive writing in its
respective curriculum for the elementary grades. Specifically, each elementary
school curriculum must include the objective that pupils be able to write legibly in
cursive by the end of fifth grade.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SECTION 1. 115.28 (55p) of the statutes is created to read: 2025 - 2026 Legislature
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SECTION 1
115.28 (55p) ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS. Incorporate cursive
writing into the model academic standards for English language arts.
SECTION 2. 118.40 (2r) (b) 2. m. of the statutes is created to read:
118.40 (2r) (b) 2. m. If the contract is for the operation of a charter school that
includes the elementary grades, a requirement that the charter school’s curriculum
include the academic objective in s. 121.02 (1) (k) 4.
SECTION 3. 118.40 (2x) (b) 2. m. of the statutes is created to read:
118.40 (2x) (b) 2. m. If the contract is for the operation of a charter school that
includes the elementary grades, a requirement that the charter school’s curriculum
include the academic objective in s. 121.02 (1) (k) 4.
SECTION 4. 118.60 (2) (a) 10. of the statutes is created to read:
118.60 (2) (a) 10. If the private school operates elementary grades, the private
school includes in its curriculum the academic objective in s. 121.02 (1) (k) 4.
SECTION 5. 119.23 (2) (a) 10. of the statutes is created to read:
119.23 (2) (a) 10. If the private school operates elementary grades, the private
school includes in its curriculum the academic objective in s. 121.02 (1) (k) 4.
SECTION 6. 121.02 (1) (k) 4. of the statutes is created to read:
121.02 (1) (k) 4. By July 1, 2026, include in a language arts curriculum plan
under this paragraph the academic objective that pupils be able to write legibly in
cursive by the end of grade 5. This subdivision does not apply to union high school
districts.
SECTION 7. Initial applicability.
(1) INDEPENDENT CHARTER SCHOOL CONTRACTS. The treatment of s. 118.40 2025 - 2026 Legislature
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SECTION 7
(2r) (b) 2. m. and (2x) (b) 2. m. first applies to a contract that is entered into,
renewed, or modified on the effective date of this subsection.
(2) PRIVATE SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING IN A PARENTAL CHOICE PROGRAM. The
treatment of ss. 118.60 (2) (a) 10. and 119.23 (2) (a) 10. first applies to an
application to attend a private school under a parental choice program in the 2026-
27 school year.
(END)