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Bills from the 2025–26 session

Assembly Bill 646

Requiring a school district consolidation study. (FE)

Topics: Legislature: Finance, Joint Committee on, Public Instruction, Department of, School: Consolidation or reorganization

Passed the Assembly, then stopped

The Assembly passed it on Nov 19, 2025, but the Senate never voted on it. A bill has to ⁠. The last day for votes this session was Mar 19, 2026. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Nov 10, 2025

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed 54 to 43

  4. Senate vote, stopped here

    Stopped here. The Senate never voted on it.

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to concur in pursuant to ⁠”

Read the bill

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The same bill was also filed in the Senate as SB 655. That version died when the session ended.

What it would have done

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

This bill requires the Department of Public Instruction to award a contract to an entity to conduct a study of school districts in this state that covers topics such as school district boundaries, potential school district consolidations, existing school district facilities, staffing levels and salary scales, the population of school-age children in each school district, and revenue limits and current overall spending. Under the bill, the entity that conducts the study must submit a report to DPI on its findings that includes 1) recommendations for changes to school district boundaries; 2) the conditions of existing school district facilities in each school district in this state; 3) the current population of school-age children in each school district and a 10-year projection of the same; and 4) recommendations for school district consolidations that promote efficiency and are geographically feasible and economically viable. Additionally, for each school district consolidation recommended in the report, the entity must include various information, including the estimated enrollment of the school district, the cities, village, and towns located within the school district, and the location of and grade levels served by each existing school building located in the school district. DPI must submit the report to the legislature. Finally, the bill requires DPI to submit a request to JCF for supplemental funding to accomplish the duties described above.

Who's behind it

11 representatives are its ⁠. All 11 are Republicans.

1 more lawmaker ⁠.

See all 12 names

Authors (11)

Signed on in support (1)

What it would cost

State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

How lawmakers voted

There were 2 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Education vote to recommend it

Passed, 7 to 4 · Nov 13, 2025

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report passage recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 7, Noes 4”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 54 to 43 · Nov 19, 2025 · 2 didn't vote

See how each of the 99 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (54)

No (43)

Didn't vote (2)

Official motion: “PASSAGE”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Mar 23, 2026

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Nov 20, 2025

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Education.

  3. Nov 20, 2025

    The Senate received it.

  4. Nov 19, 2025

    The Assembly passed it, 54 to 43.

  5. Nov 18, 2025

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  6. Nov 13, 2025

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  7. Nov 13, 2025

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 7 to 4.

  8. Nov 11, 2025

    The committee held a public hearing.

  9. Nov 10, 2025

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Education.

  10. Nov 10, 2025

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Nov 10, 2025 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Duchow, Zimmerman, Kitchens, Armstrong, Gustafson, Krug, Moses, Murphy, O'Connor, Penterman and Nedweski; cosponsored by Senator Quinn

  2. Nov 10, 2025 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Education

  3. Nov 11, 2025 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Nov 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  5. Nov 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 7, Noes 4

  6. Nov 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  7. Nov 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 11-19-2025 by Committee on Rules

  8. Nov 18, 2025 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  9. Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  10. Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  11. Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  12. Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 54, Noes 43

  13. Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  14. Nov 20, 2025 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  15. Nov 20, 2025 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Education

  16. Mar 23, 2026 · Senate

    Failed to concur in pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

Terms on this page

Second chamber's vote

A bill has to pass both the Assembly and the Senate in the same form before it goes to the governor.

Official term: Concurrence. More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary

From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source

Second chamber's vote

A bill has to pass both the Assembly and the Senate in the same form before it goes to the governor.

Official term: Concurrence

More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1

More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis

More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor

More in the glossary

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate

More in the glossary

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote

More in the glossary