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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Greenfield schools referendums will be on midterm ballot. What are the two Greenfield school referendums to be used for paying teachers and upgrading Greenfield schools in November 2026 election? -
The Whitefish Bay school referendum is on midterm ballots Nov. 3. What to know about the new middle school referendum and property tax impact in Whitefish Bay. -
Alverno College in Milwaukee doesn't give letter grades. Schools like MIT and University of Michigan are stopping letter grades for freshmen to ease the pressure of transitioning to college. -
A Milwaukee woman posed as fake substitute teacher to get into Rufus King High School. How did the school security break down to allow Amy Jones in? -
Wisconsin Forward exam results show that Milwaukee Public Schools students saw slight increase in test scores. Gap between Black and white student test scores in Wisconsin persists. -
ProPublica reporting on 100% voucher schools, where every student receives a taxpayer-funded voucher to attend, finds there's little accountability and rules for staff. -
Le Creuset factory-to-table sale came to Milwaukee October 1-4, 2026. What to know about the mystery boxes, surprise gifts, free Dutch ovens, and how people got tickets for the sale. -
AI company leaders are calling for a slowdown as developer from Anthropic resigns and warns of risk to humanity. How are AI researchers in Wisconsin reacting? -
What is the Wisconsin Freedom to Gather in Places of Worship During an Emergency Referendum on 2026 midterm ballots? It has to do with COVID lockdowns. -
What is the Wisconsin partial veto referendum on 2026 midterm ballots? It has to do with school funding and how Gov. Tony Evers made a 400-year veto.
