Community grants fuel new approach to student well-being in La Crosse schools

LA CROSSE, Wis. (SCHOOL DISTRICT OF LA CROSSE PRESS RELEASE) - When students feel safe, learning follows.

That idea is at the heart of new grant-funded work underway in the School District of La Crosse, where educators are expanding their use of the Neurosequential Model in Education (NME), a brain-based framework that helps staff better understand student behavior, learning, and emotional needs.

The WEA Member Benefits Foundation has awarded the district a four-year, $55,000 grant to support staff training in NME. In addition, Mayo Clinic Health System has provided a $10,000 grant through the La Crosse Public Education Foundation to fund classroom and school-based implementation projects.

NME is not a specific program or intervention. Instead, it gives educators a deeper understanding of how the brain develops and how stress, adversity, and trauma can affect learning and behavior. Teachers and staff learn how to apply that knowledge in practical ways in classrooms and throughout the school day to better support students.

This work helps schools move from reacting to behavior to anticipating student needs and problem-solving early. It supports proactive approaches to social-emotional challenges and everyday classroom situations, helping students stay regulated, engaged, and ready to learn.

Twenty staff members, representing at least one educator from every school building across the district, are participating in the first NME training cohort. The training is intensive and spans about a year. The WEA grant supports the training itself, while the Mayo and La Crosse Public Education Foundation funds allow educators to bring that learning to life through brain-based practices in schools.

The combined support reflects the importance of service and strong community partnerships. By investing in educators and evidence-based practices, the district aims to ensure students continue to experience school as a safe, supportive place with consistent, positive adult connections.