2026 School Board Summit

The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) is inviting school board members and district administrators for a day of professional development. The event will bring together experts from several facets of education policy and legal arenas.

The 2026 School Board Summit will be held on April 24th. The cost to attend is $185 per attendee. Lunch will be provided.  Stay tuned for more details coming soon on speakers and presentation topics. 

Renaissance Milwaukee West Hotel
2300 N Mayfair Rd
Wauwatosa, WI 5322

The purpose is to educate and equip school board members with tools to prioritize student achievement, promote good governance, increase transparency, and enhance parental involvement. Public school board members and candidates are welcome to attend, along with charter and private school board members. District leaders, like superintendents, business managers and others are encouraged to attend as well.

2026 Sessions and Speakers 

Session 1: WILL Legal Update: Key Developments Affecting Wisconsin School Districts
Speakers: WILL Managing Vice President Dan Lennington, WILL Deputy Counsel Lucas Vebber and Luke Berg

Session 2: When Teachers Speak Online: The First Amendment and the Limits of School Authority
Speakers: WILL President & General Counsel Rick Esenberg, AEI Fellow Daniel Buck

Session 3 Free to Learn: Rethinking Screens, Technology, and Childhood in the Classroom
Speakers: Psychotherapist, Parent Coach, and Bestselling Author Nicole Runyon

Keynote Speaker -Dr. Cade Brumley 
Transforming Education: Lessons from Louisiana’s Reform Efforts

Breakout Option One: School Finance 101: Making Dollars and Sense of Your District Budget
Speakers: Chief Executive Officer of Kansas Policy Institute Dave Trabert, WILL Associate Counsel Nathalie Burmeister

Breakout Option Two: School Finance 201: Evaluating Fiscal Health and Strategic Planning
Speakers: Kettle Moraine School District Chief Financial Officer John Stellmacher, WILL Director of Research Will Flanders, Hughes Strategic Founder, Dr. Bill Hughes 

Second Breakout Option One: Confronting Classroom Disruption and Teacher Burnout
Speakers: Director of CERN, Research Fellow at AEI Daniel Buck, Research Director for Defending Education Rhyen Staley, WILL Associate Counsel Lauren Greuel

Second Breakout Option Two: Board Member Speech Under Fire: Know Your Rights and Speak with Confidence
Speakers: Communications Director Pat Garrett, Platform Communications Vice President of Public Affairs Alec Zimmerman, WILL Associate Counsel Erin Gamble

2026 Program