WC Wisconsin News

La Crosse County has announced a 10-year plan to allocate $7.6 million from opioid settlement funds, focusing on the justice system, child welfare, and community treatment. The first year of the proposal would direct $689,000 toward several initiatives.

In the justice system, funding will support re-entry services, medication-assisted treatment within the jail, and regular screenings for inmates. Community treatment measures include providing Narcan and test strips, expanding residential and recovery housing options, and improving coordination among service providers. Child welfare efforts will involve expanded home visiting programs, development of four new sober living beds for mothers, and additional housing support to help keep families together.

According to county officials, "The plan aims to reduce jail admissions, cut child welfare placements, and expand treatment access. The cost of doing nothing is high—youth placements can cost up to $225,000 per year, and substance use is linked to up to 50% of child welfare cases and 20% of the unsheltered population."

The funding comes from national settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors. So far, La Crosse County has received about $2.4 million from these settlements and expects more in coming years.

The plan arrives as La Crosse County continues to serve a diverse student population across its schools. For the 2023-24 school year, Holmen High School had the highest enrollment with 1,246 students; Central High School followed with 1,014 students; Onalaska High School enrolled 926 students (https://dpi.wi.gov/). During this period, white students made up approximately 75.7% of the student body in La Crosse County schools—a slight decrease from the previous year (https://dpi.wi.gov/). Asian students were the second largest group at 9.2%, while multiracial students represented 7.4% (https://dpi.wi.gov/).

More information on the full County Board presentation regarding this opioid response plan is available online.