Back-to-School Guide 2026-27
Welcome to the 2026–27 school year!
There is something special about the start of a new school year. Our buildings are filled with excitement, fresh opportunities, and the energy that comes from welcoming students back into our classrooms. Whether your family is returning to MCPASD or joining us for the first time, we are so glad you're here.
Throughout the summer, our staff has been hard at work preparing for a successful year of learning, growth, and connection. We remain committed to knowing our students' stories; building on their strengths; and creating schools where every student feels supported, challenged, and inspired to succeed.
This fall, we'll also be sharing factual information about the District's upcoming operational referendum. We encourage you to stay informed through our District communications, website, and community engagement opportunities as we provide information to help our community make an informed decision.
Thank you for your partnership and the trust you place in our schools. We look forward to an incredible year together.
Warmly,
Dr. Dana Monogue
Superintendent
Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District
Next week, the MCPASD Board of Education will vote on whether to place an operational referendum question on the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot. If approved, our community will have the opportunity to consider that question during the November election.
This vote is the result of months of thoughtful discussion, careful financial planning, and listening to feedback from our community. As a Board, we have a responsibility to ensure our District remains financially stable while continuing to provide the exceptional educational opportunities our students, families, and community have come to expect.
Like many school districts across Wisconsin, MCPASD is facing financial challenges that are largely outside of our control. Rising costs, declining enrollment, and a school funding system that has not kept pace with inflation have created long-term budget challenges. While the Board has worked diligently to manage these issues through responsible budgeting and careful stewardship of taxpayer dollars, we recognize that additional action may be necessary to preserve the quality of education in our District. Visit our School Funding webpage to learn more about the school funding process in MCPASD and Wisconsin.
If the Board approves placing the question on the ballot, our focus will shift to ensuring our community has access to clear, factual, and transparent information. Over the coming weeks, we will share details about the proposed referendum, explain why it is being considered, and provide opportunities for community members to learn more and ask questions.
We encourage everyone to stay informed, participate in the conversation, and stay engaged throughout this process. Thank you for your continued support of our students, our staff, and our schools.
Bob Hesselbein
President, MCPASD Board of Education
Every summer, MCPASD families are required to complete the Annual Student Verification Form to confirm their child’s enrollment for the upcoming school year. This allows MCPASD staff to prepare to be ready to support each student from the first day of school.
The form is available in Campus Portal for parents and guardians listed in the primary household only. Please complete the form by Aug. 16, 2026.
For more details, refer to the July 15, 2026, email sent to MCPASD families titled “Complete Your MCPASD 2026-2027 Annual Student Verification Form by Aug. 16.”
Our Nutrition Services team served more than 650,000 student meals last year, and they’re preparing to fuel students with delicious and nutritious meals in the year ahead! Our Nutrition Services team is proud to offer healthy, kid-friendly meals to make sure students are ready to learn.
Below are resources to help your family make the most of school breakfasts and lunches.
Meal Prices: https://www.mcpasd.k12.wi.us/page/food-nutrition
Menus: https://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/index.php?sid=1776182539925&page=menus
Note: MCPASD has moved from Nutrislice to Linq for our menus.
Contact Information for Nutrition Services Leaders and Staff: https://www.mcpasd.k12.wi.us/page/food-nutrition
Free and Reduced Meals: MCPASD offers a Free and Reduced Meals program to ensure that every student has access to healthy meals, regardless of family income. Eligible students can receive breakfast and lunch at no cost, along with waived school fees and milk break costs.
Families must complete a new application each school year, starting July 1. Forms are available on the MCPASD website, and paper copies are available at the District Services Center at 7106 South Avenue in Middleton. All information is kept confidential. Applications are accepted at any time during the year.
Contact Amy Gundeck at 608-829-2344 or agundeck@mcpasd.k12.wi.us with questions about free and reduced meals.
Families can manage meal payments and pay school fees online with MyPaymentsPlus. It’s a convenient way to pay for school fees and meals, view account balances, and set up automatic payments or low-balance alerts for meals.
Families can use MyPaymentsPlus to pay for meals and other fees throughout the year: https://www.mcpasd.k12.wi.us/page/student-fees-mpp
Follow these instructions to create or to access your MyPaymentsPlus account.
As we prepare our health offices for the start of the school year, a member of our team may reach out if we need additional health information about your student. If you have any questions, concerns, or updates regarding your child's health needs, please don't hesitate to contact your school nurse. You can also visit our Health Services webpage for important forms, resources, and additional information.
Medication Drop-Off Information
As we prepare for the upcoming school year, the MCPASD Health Services Department wants to provide you with important reminders regarding the medication drop-off process for students who require medication during the school day.
To ensure the safety of all students, please review the following critical requirements:
Forms & Parent Signatures: Prior to dropping off any medication, please ensure that all necessary medication administration forms are thoroughly completed and signed by a parent or guardian.
Verification at Drop-Off: A designated staff member must verify all medications and completed paperwork at the time of drop-off. Please plan a few extra minutes for this verification process when you come in.
Student Transport Prohibited: For safety reasons, medications may not be sent to school with students in their backpacks or on the bus. All medications must be delivered directly by an adult.
Early Drop-Off Option: School staff will return the week prior to the start of the school year. Families are welcome to drop off medications early during that week to beat the first-day rush.
For detailed, step-by-step instructions and to download the required forms, please visit the official MCPASD Health Services Medication Webpage.
Thank you for your cooperation and partnership in keeping our school community healthy and safe.
Important Forms and Links:
Medications at School
If your student needs to take medication while at school, please complete the Medication Administration Form and the Over-the-Counter Medication Administration Form (if applicable) and submit them to your school office before the beginning of the school year.
Immunization Requirements Reminder
As families prepare for the upcoming school year, many students will be completing summer well-checks, sports physicals, and other health appointments. This is a great opportunity to review your child’s immunization records to ensure they are up to date.
To help maintain the health and safety of all students and staff, we want to remind families of Wisconsin immunization requirements. Immunizations play an important role in protecting our school community from preventable diseases and reducing the risk of outbreaks.
To remain compliant, please ensure your student's immunization records are up to date or that a completed waiver is on file with the school office before the start of the term.
You can access relevant forms through the MCPASD Health Services webpage and read more Health Services information in the sections below.
Please contact your school’s health office for questions related to immunizations. Visit our Health Services Contacts webpage to contact school nurses and health assistants.
At MCPASD, we believe students are most successful when they feel healthy, connected, supported, and engaged at school. Our Student Services Team, including school counselors, social workers, psychologists, nurses, and health assistants, partners closely with students, families, staff, and community organizations to support the whole child.
Our team helps students navigate academic, social-emotional, behavioral, and health-related needs while also connecting families with school and community resources. Whether a student needs short-term support, help navigating a challenge, or ongoing services, we are here to help.
Support may include:
Academic and school success planning
Social-emotional and mental health support
Attendance and engagement support
Physical health and wellness services
504 plans and special education evaluation support
Connections to community resources and family assistance
Not sure where to start? Reach out to your child’s school office or any member of our Student Services Team and we will help connect you with the right support. Click here to find the Student Services contact at your student’s school.
Know Your Rights Under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
MCPASD provides support for students living in temporary housing to help ensure continued access to education.
Under the federal McKinney-Vento Act, students experiencing housing instability are entitled to certain rights and protections. Eligible students may receive assistance with:
Immediate enrollment in school, even if required documents are missing
Attending classes while schools work to obtain necessary records
Enrolling in the local school or continuing at their school of origin–the school attended when last permanently housed or most recently enrolled–if feasible and preferred by the family
If you believe your child may be eligible, or if you are aware of a student experiencing housing instability in MCPASD, please contact Amy Poole, Community Social Worker & Homeless Liaison, and click here for more information.
Important Note for Families: If you did not complete the Transportation Registration Form by the Aug. 2 deadline, please submit your request as soon as possible (one form per family). We deeply care about your child’s routine, but because building safe, efficient bus routes takes time, any registration forms received after Aug. 2 will not be routed until after the third week of September. Families who missed the deadline will need to arrange alternative transportation for the first month of school. If you still need bus service for later in the fall, please check your inbox for the registration link and submit it today so our team can add your child to a route as soon as routing reopens!
For any transportation updates or changes to your student’s routing plan for the upcoming school year, including Alternate Transportation requests and Dual Household Transportation requests, please complete a Transportation Help Desk Request. Submitting your request online is the fastest way to get your updates directly to our routing team.
Additionally, we will send Stopfinder invitations on Aug. 7. As Stopfinder security protocols only allow for one primary subscriber, it is important that you check all email addresses that may be associated with your student. The primary subscriber can then invite anyone else they would like to have access to Stopfinder. However, we can only send a Stopfinder invitation to one email address initially. Please check all of your email addresses before submitting a Help Desk ticket about Stopfinder invitations.
Finally, if you have an urgent request or time-sensitive schedule change, please call the Transportation Office directly at 608-829-2365 so we can assist you immediately.
Infinite Campus, also known as the Parent or Campus Portal, is your all-in-one hub for a successful school year. It is the quickest way to:
- Update your household and contact details
- Check your student's live grades and progress
- Submit absence requests
- View bus routes and transportation schedules
Click here to log in and explore everything the Campus Portal has to offer.
Creating safe, welcoming learning environments is a shared responsibility, and MCPASD continues to use trusted tools and resources to help keep our schools prepared and connected.
The District follows the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) developed by the I Love U Guys Foundation. Used by school districts across Dane County and throughout the country, SRP provides a clear, consistent approach to emergency response that is easy for students, staff, families and first responders to understand. Families are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the five SRP actions by watching this five-minute overview video.
MCPASD also participates in the Wisconsin Office of School Safety's Speak Up, Speak Out reporting system. This confidential reporting platform gives students, families and community members a safe way to report concerning behavior or potential safety concerns, including the option to remain anonymous. During the 2025-26 school year, MCPASD received and responded to 337 tips through the system, helping school staff address concerns and support students.
By working together and using these resources, we can continue to foster safe, supportive learning environments for every student.
Hello Students, Families, Staff, and Friends!
I hope your summer has been filled with some amazing adventures!
The Technology Services Department (with help from many others in our District community) has been hard at work getting “All Things Tech” ready for students and staff to return to school this fall.
Student access to technology, devices, and tech-related learning opportunities is a popular and high-profile topic for parents and families right now. Families across the country (and our community) are asking good questions about screens, personal devices, phones, EdTech, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Please know that the District prioritizes face-to-face, analog learning experiences and is thinking about how and why students access technology in our schools and learning spaces.
Click here to read the full Technology Services message.
Have a wonderful school year!
Brian Miles
Director of Technology Services
Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District
Did Your Know?
Each help desk technician in the Technology Services Department supports about 2,500 student and staff devices in the District.
MCPASD is proud to continue partnering with WayForward Resources and the MCPASD Education Foundation to support our community’s families in need.
This school year, our partnership will include donation bins at each of our schools on their respective Back to School nights in August and September. Families are welcome to drop off food donations for WayForward Resources and the MCPASD Education Foundation, which supports the Weekend Food Program for MCPASD students in need.
Donation bins will include a QR code for families that would like to make a monetary donation to either organization. We’ll share more details in the coming weeks but wanted to highlight this opportunity as you make your back-to-school preparations.
Thank you for helping to strengthen our community and support those in need.
If you're looking for another way to help fight food insecurity, consider supporting Meals Matter, a student-led nonprofit founded by Middleton High School graduates Noah Duckett and Wyatt Ehrhardt. What began as a single food drive at MHS has grown into an organization with 30 chapters across multiple states and countries, collecting more than 180,000 pounds of food and helping nearly 20,000 people.
Meals Matter recently became an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit and is celebrating with an August fundraiser to kick off the school year. Families can support their mission by donating here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/meals-matter
From 4K through grade 12, our schools have supply lists to make sure your student has everything they need for core classes, Encore classes, and more. Check out each school’s link below for more specific requirements and guidelines for students.
