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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Milwaukee Public Schools is required to have armed police in some schools. Students are calling for reforms and boundaries for the officers. -
Milwaukee Public Schools has announced it will receive a final payment from the state that was previously withheld after the school district missed financial reporting deadlines in 2024. -
Milwaukee's health department released its community report identifying five major areas putting Milwaukee residents at higher risk. -
A renewed focus on literacy in Milwaukee borrows a training program responsible for a huge turnaround in reading scores in Mississippi dubbed the "Mississippi Miracle." -
Literacy Services of Wisconsin helps adults who want to get their high school diploma or strengthen their reading skills to fill out job applications or file paperwork. -
As Milwaukee addresses its literacy struggles, one-on-one tutoring is showing promise at improving students' ability to read. -
After increasing bus fares at the start of 2026, Milwaukee County's bus routes will be changing to address budget shortfalls. Here's what to know about longer wait times. -
Literacy rates have been falling in Milwaukee for over a decade. But there are new leaders, new money and new efforts to fix that. Will they work? -
Milwaukee Public Schools announced in December that is has completed lead paint cleaning at 100 of its oldest schools. -
Can changes to Milwaukee's zoning code to allow accessory dwelling units, or "granny flats," help make housing more affordable?
