Katherine Kokal
Education ReporterKatherine joined WUWM in 2025 as an education reporter covering both K-12 schools and higher education.
A native of Waukesha, Katherine grew up camping around Wisconsin in the summers and cross-country skiing and sledding in the winters. She attended the University of Missouri School of Journalism and interned for Lake Effect in 2017.
Katherine covered local government, transportation and environmental issues at The Island Packet newspaper in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina before moving to South Florida to cover education for The Palm Beach Post. She is the recipient of the 2023 Lucy Morgan Award for In-Depth Reporting from the Florida Press Club for her investigation into data privacy for student athletes required to submit medical information to the state in order to play high school sports.
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A review of nearly 900 exit surveys from MPS employees who left their jobs found common threads. But the school district doesn't analyze or learn from exit reviews. -
Waves of immigration to Milwaukee have made our home a multicultural and vibrant city. But it hasn't always been a warm welcome. Here's a rundown of immigration to Milwaukee and Wisconsin. -
Look at a map of Milwaukee and you'll find traces of the waves of immigration to our city: From Yankee Hill to Schlitz and Pabst and the quintessential "Polish flat." -
Milwaukee Public Schools leaders announced their lead remediation plan for the 106 schools in the district built before 1978. It comes as the CDC has denied the city's request for help. -
On this week's episode of "Bubbler Talk," we answer a question about what happens to homes that are sold to cash buyers advertising around Milwaukee. -
The 59-year-old campus will close this June due to under enrollment and financial constraints. This year, there were 589 students enrolled at UW-Waukesha. -
Although Milwaukee's request for extra staff from the CDC was initially approved, layoffs this month completely shuttered the federal agency's lead prevention unit.
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A report released by the Wisconsin Policy Forum takes lessons from other major city school systems to help support changes in Milwaukee. -
UWM's announcement comes as the UW System says nearly 30 students statewide have had their visas revoked or terminated. -
MPS district leaders and city health department officials said Thursday that cuts at the CDC are having an impact on lead remediation projects in schools.
