2) A document titled, "Sharing Our Buried Treasure: Directions for the Protection and Management of Wisconsin's Groundwater" which is a summary of the 2001 Groundwater Summit facilitated by the Groundwater Coordinating Council.
3) A set of three Comprehensive Planning and Groundwater Fact Sheets developed by the Groundwater Coordinating Council to assist local communities in their "Smart Growth" planning activities.
Referred to committee on Natural Resources.
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State of Wisconsin
Employment Relations Commission
Madison
September 2002
To the Honorable, the Assembly:
The following is the Biennial Report of the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission for 1999-2001 biennium. The report represents a compilation of the statistical and subjective record of the agency over this period. The agency continues to maintain its statewide and national recognition for competence, fairness and integrity as the administrative agency for the Wisconsin Labor Relations Statutes.
As a Commission, we look forward to maintaining that hard working reputation through the continued exercise of diligence and professionalism in the performance of our duties.
Respectfully submitted,
Steven R. Sorenson
Chairperson
A. Henry Hempe
Commissioner
Paul A. Hahn
Commissioner
Referred to committee on Labor and Workforce Development.
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Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
Madison
August 29, 2002
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
A929
We have completed an evaluation of the full-time open enrollment program, as directed by s.
13.94(11), Wis. Stats. Under the program, students may apply to attend school in any K-12 public school district in the state, regardless of whether they live in that district. Families of students who transfer from their local district do not pay tuition. However, a local district loses state aid for each student who transfers to another district and gains state aid for each student who transfers from another district.
In the 2001-02 school year 9,457 students, or 1.1 percent of all public school students, participated in the program. Although participation increased significantly during the first four years of the program, it is still too early to determine whether public schools have improved as a result of district competition to retain and attract students. Few districts report developing new or innovative programs in response to the program, perhaps because most school districts gained or lost 20 students or less. Similarly, fiscal effects of the program have been limited to those districts that experienced significant participation. In 2001-02, 308 of 426 school districts in Wisconsin had net gains or losses of less than $75,000.
Although parental satisfaction with the program appears to be high, several issues related to open enrollment pose challenges for the program's future. First, the Legislature may wish to carefully consider the costs associated with funding the education of home-schooled students under proposals for on-line virtual schools that accept students from across the state. In addition, school district staff are concerned about the increasing administrative burden of processing open enrollment transfer applications, and program rules related to special education are under federal review.
We appreciate the cooperation and courtesy extended to us by the Department of Public Instruction management and staff. The response from the Superintendent of Public Instruction is Appendix 4.
Respectfully submitted,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
