The Sauk County Board will set aside $390,000 in the county’s 2025-26 budget to cover operating costs for the Universities of Wisconsin’s smallest campus. The move comes as five UW campuses have announced closures in just the last two years after budget cuts passed down to the Universities of Wisconsin from the state legislature. UW-Platteville’s Baraboo Sauk County campus is the smallest in the system when it comes to enrollment, only serving around 200 students. As enrollment has declined over the last two decades, Sauk County Board president Tim McCumber says the county has been working with the university to bring in and retain students. McCumber says the county is stepping in now to cover the school’s operating costs.
