SB21-SSA1,954,93 115.437 (2) (a) Annually Except as provided in par. (b), annually on the 4th
4Monday of March, the department shall pay to each school district an amount equal
5to the average of the number of pupils enrolled in the school district in the current
6and 2 preceding school years multiplied by $75 in the 2013-14 school year and, by
7$150 in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years, and by $250 in each school year
8thereafter. The department shall make the payments from the appropriation under
9s. 20.255 (2) (aq).
SB21-SSA1,3216f 10Section 3216f. 115.437 (2) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
SB21-SSA1,954,1211 115.437 (2) (b) 1. The department shall make the payment under par. (a) for the
122015-16 school year on the 2nd Monday of July 2016.
SB21-SSA1,954,1813 2. The department shall consider the amount paid from s. 20.255 (2) (aq) under
14subd. 1. to be money appropriated to s. 20.255 (2) (aq) in the 2015-16 school year for
15purposes of calculating the change in the amount of statewide categorical aid per
16pupil under s. 118.40 (2r) (e) 2p. from the 2014-15 school year to the 2015-16 school
17year, from the 2015-16 school year to the 2016-17 school year, and from the 2016-17
18school year to the 2017-18 school year.
SB21-SSA1,3220 19Section 3220. 115.77 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB21-SSA1,954,2320 115.77 (1) In sub. (1m) (a) to (d), except as provided in s. 118.51 (12) (a) and (b)
212.
, if a child with a disability is attending a public school in a nonresident school
22district under s. 118.50, 118.51, or 121.84 (1) (a) or (4), "local educational agency"
23means the school district that the child is attending.
SB21-SSA1,3220m 24Section 3220m. 115.775 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB21-SSA1,955,3
1115.775 (1) Except as provided in sub. (2), an operator of a charter school under
2s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) is a local educational agency, as defined in 20 USC 1401 (19), and
3shall comply with 20 USC 1400 to 1482.
SB21-SSA1,3220p 4Section 3220p. 115.775 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB21-SSA1,955,95 115.775 (2) The board of directors of the school district operating under ch. 119
6is a local educational agency under this section and shall comply with 20 USC 1400
7to 1482 if the board of directors enters into a written agreement with an operator of
8a charter school under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) under which the board of directors agrees
9to serve as the local educational agency.
SB21-SSA1,3221 10Section 3221. 115.777 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB21-SSA1,955,1811 115.777 (1) (a) A physician, nurse, psychologist, social worker or administrator
12of a social agency who reasonably believes that a child brought to him or her for
13services has a disability shall refer the child to the local educational agency. If the
14local educational agency to whom the referral is made is the school district in which
15the child resides but the child is attending a public school in a nonresident school
16district under s. 118.50, 118.51, or 121.84 (1) (a) or (4), the school board of the school
17district in which the child resides shall provide the name of the child and related
18information to the school board of the school district that the child is attending.
SB21-SSA1,956,219 (b) A person who is required to be licensed under s. 115.28 (7), who is employed
20by a local educational agency and who reasonably believes a child has a disability,
21shall refer the child to the local educational agency. If the local educational agency
22to whom the referral is made is the school district that the child is attending but the
23child is a nonresident attending a public school in that school district under s. 118.50,
24118.51, or 121.84 (1) (a) or (4), the school board of the school district that the child

1is attending shall provide the name of the child and related information to the school
2board of the child's school district of residence.
SB21-SSA1,956,103 (c) Any person other than those specified under par. (a) or (b) who reasonably
4believes that a child is a child with a disability may refer the child to a local
5educational agency. If the local educational agency to whom the referral is made is
6the school district in which the child resides but the child is attending a public school
7in a nonresident school district under s. 118.50, 118.51, or 121.84 (1) (a) or (4), the
8school board of the school district in which the child resides shall provide the name
9of the child and related information to the school board of the school district that the
10child is attending.
SB21-SSA1,3222 11Section 3222. 115.78 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB21-SSA1,956,1512 115.78 (1) Definition. In this section, for a child who is attending a public
13school in a nonresident school district under s. 118.50, 118.51, or 121.84 (1) (a) or (4),
14"local educational agency" means the school board of the school district that the child
15is attending.
SB21-SSA1,3223 16Section 3223. 115.78 (1m) (h) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB21-SSA1,956,2017 115.78 (1m) (h) If the child is attending a public school in a nonresident school
18district under s. 118.50, 118.51, or 121.84 (1) (a) or (4), at least one person designated
19by the school board of the child's school district of residence who has knowledge or
20special expertise about the child.
SB21-SSA1,3224 21Section 3224. 115.79 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB21-SSA1,957,322 115.79 (1) (b) An educational placement is provided to implement a child's
23individualized education program. Except as provided in s. 118.51 (12) (a) and (b)
242.
, if a child with a disability is attending a public school in a nonresident school
25district under s. 118.50, 118.51, or 121.84 (1) (a) or (4), the school board of the school

1district that the child is attending shall provide an educational placement for the
2child and shall pay tuition charges instead of the school district in which the child
3resides if required by the placement.
SB21-SSA1,3224g 4Section 3224g. 115.791 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB21-SSA1,957,105 115.791 (4) Subject to s. 115.77 (1m) (d) and (e), this section does not require
6a local educational agency to pay the cost of education, including special education
7and related services, of a child with a disability at a private school or facility,
8including a child with a disability attending a private school under s. 115.7915,
if the
9local educational agency made a free appropriate public education available to the
10child and the child's parents elected to place the child in a private school or facility.
SB21-SSA1,3224m 11Section 3224m. 115.7915 of the statutes is created to read:
SB21-SSA1,957,13 12115.7915 Special Needs Scholarship Program. (1) Definitions. In this
13section:
SB21-SSA1,957,1414 (a) "Eligible school" means a private school located in this state.
SB21-SSA1,957,1515 (b) "Resident school board" means the school board of a resident school district.
SB21-SSA1,957,1616 (c) "Resident school district" means the school district in which a pupil resides.
SB21-SSA1,957,1717 (d) "Services plan" has the meaning given in 34 CFR 300.37.
SB21-SSA1,957,20 18(2) Scholarship requirements. Beginning in the 2016-17 school year, the
19department shall provide to a child with a disability a scholarship under sub. (4m)
20(a) to attend an eligible school if all of the following apply:
SB21-SSA1,957,2321 (a) The child applied to attend a public school in one or more nonresident school
22districts under s. 118.51 for the same school year for which he or she is submitting
23an application under par. (f), and all of the following occurred:
SB21-SSA1,958,224 1. The child was rejected by the school boards of all the nonresident school
25districts to which he or she applied under s. 118.51 (3) (a), (3m) (a), or (7); or was

1prohibited from attending public school in all the nonresident school districts to
2which he or she applied under s. 118.51 (3m) (d), (7), or (12).
SB21-SSA1,958,43 2. If the child's parent appealed any school board decision under subd. 1., the
4department affirmed the decision.
SB21-SSA1,958,65 (b) The governing body of the eligible school notified the department of its
6intent to participate in the program under this section.
SB21-SSA1,958,147 (c) The eligible school has been approved as a private school by the state
8superintendent under s. 118.165 (2) or is accredited by the Wisconsin North Central
9Association, Wisconsin Religious and Independent Schools Accreditation, the
10Independent Schools Association of the Central States, Wisconsin Evangelical
11Lutheran Synod School Accreditation, National Lutheran School Accreditation, the
12diocese or archdiocese within which the private school is located, or any other
13organization recognized by the National Council for Private School Accreditation, as
14of the August 1 preceding the school term for which the scholarship is awarded.
SB21-SSA1,958,1615 (d) An individualized education program or services plan has been completed
16for the child.
SB21-SSA1,958,1917 (e) The child attended a public school in this state for the entire school year
18immediately preceding the school year for which the child first receives a scholarship
19under this section.
SB21-SSA1,958,2520 (f) The child, or the child's parent on behalf of the child, submitted an
21application for a scholarship under this section, on a form prepared by the
22department that includes the document developed by the department under sub. (4)
23(a) to the eligible school that the child will attend. A child, or child's parent, may
24apply for a scholarship and a child may begin attending an eligible school under this
25section at any time during the school year.
SB21-SSA1,959,2
1(g) The eligible school has accepted the child's application to attend the eligible
2school under a scholarship awarded under this section.
SB21-SSA1,959,7 3(3) Participating schools; selection of pupils. (a) The governing body of an
4eligible school that intends to participate in the program under this section shall
5notify the department of its intent. The governing body of the eligible school shall
6include in the notice under this paragraph the number of spaces the eligible school
7has available for children receiving a scholarship under this section.
SB21-SSA1,959,128 (b) If a private school participating in the program under this section receives
9more applications for scholarships under sub. (2) (f) than the number of children
10specified in the notice under par. (a), it shall select children on a random basis except
11that it may give preference to siblings of pupils who are already attending the private
12school.
SB21-SSA1,959,1513 (c) The governing body of a private school participating in the program under
14this section shall notify the department when it accepts a child's application to attend
15the private school under a scholarship awarded under this section.
SB21-SSA1,959,20 16(4) Department duties. (a) 1. The department shall develop a document for
17inclusion with an application under sub. (2) (f), and revise it as necessary, comparing
18the rights of a child with a disability and of his or her parent under this subchapter,
19other than this section, and 20 USC 1400 to 1482, with the rights of a child with a
20disability and of his or her parent under this section and 20 USC 1400 to 1482.
SB21-SSA1,959,2521 2. Receipt by an applicant of the document developed under subd. 1.,
22acknowledged in a format prescribed by the department, constitutes notice that the
23applicant has been informed of his or her rights under this section and 20 USC 1400
24to 1482. Subsequent acceptance of a scholarship under this section constitutes the
25applicant's informed acknowledgment of the rights specified in the document.
SB21-SSA1,960,5
1(b) Upon being notified under sub. (3) (c), the department shall notify the child's
2resident school board that the child has been awarded a scholarship under this
3section. The child's resident school board shall, within 3 days of receiving the notice,
4provide the department and the governing body of the private school that accepted
5the child with a copy of the child's individualized education program.
SB21-SSA1,960,9 6(4m) Scholarship payments; state aid reduction. (a) Subject to par. (c), from
7the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (az), the department shall pay the private
8school a child attends under the scholarship program under this section, on behalf
9of a child's parent or guardian, the following amount:
SB21-SSA1,960,1010 1. In the 2016-17 school year, $12,000.
SB21-SSA1,960,1611 2. Beginning in the 2017-18 school year, the sum of the scholarship amount
12under this paragraph for the previous school year; the amount of the per pupil
13revenue limit adjustment under s. 121.91 (2m) for the current school year, if positive;
14and the change in the amount of statewide categorical aid per pupil between the
15previous school year and the current school year, as determined under s. 118.40 (2r)
16(e) 2p., if positive.
SB21-SSA1,960,2017 (b) The department shall pay 25 percent of the total amount under par. (a) in
18September, 25 percent in November, 25 percent in February, and 25 percent in May.
19Each installment may consist of a single check for all children attending the private
20school who are receiving a scholarship under par. (a).
SB21-SSA1,960,2421 (c) The department may not make a scholarship payment under par. (a) to a
22private school on behalf of a child's parent or guardian unless the child's parent or
23guardian has acknowledged receiving the private school's profile under sub. (6) (g)
24in the manner provided by the department.
SB21-SSA1,961,4
1(d) Except as provided in par. (e), a scholarship awarded to a child for the child
2to attend a private school under par. (a) continues until the child graduates from high
3school or until the end of the school term in which the child attains the age of 21,
4whichever comes first.
SB21-SSA1,961,85 (e) 1. If an individualized education program team, upon reevaluation of a child
6under sub. (5) (c), unanimously determines that a child receiving a scholarship under
7par. (a) is no longer a child with a disability, the child is not eligible to receive a
8scholarship under par. (a) beginning in the school term following the determination.
SB21-SSA1,961,179 2. If a child who has been determined to be ineligible under subd. 1. continues
10to attend the private school he or she attended under a scholarship awarded under
11par. (a), for each school year the child attends the private school beginning with the
12school year following the determination under subd. 1., the department shall pay,
13from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (az), to the private school, on behalf of the
14child's parent or guardian, an amount equal to the appropriate per pupil amount paid
15to a private school participating in a parental choice program under s. 118.60 or
16119.23 in that school year. The department shall make scholarship payments under
17this paragraph in accordance with payment schedule specified in s. 119.23 (4) (c).
SB21-SSA1,961,2018 (f) 1. Beginning in the 2016-17 school year, subject to s. 121.085 (1), the
19department shall decrease a school district's state aid payment under s. 121.08 by
20an amount calculated as follows:
SB21-SSA1,961,2221 a. Determine the number of pupils residing in the school district for whom a
22payment is made under par. (a) in that school year.
SB21-SSA1,961,2423 b. Multiply the number of pupils under subd. 1. a. by the per pupil amount
24calculated under par. (a) for that school year.
SB21-SSA1,962,2
1c. Determine the number of pupils residing in the school district for whom a
2payment is made under par. (e) in that school year.
SB21-SSA1,962,43 d. Multiply the number of pupils under subd. 1. c. by the per pupil amount paid
4under par. (e) for that school year.
SB21-SSA1,962,55 e. Sum the amounts calculated under subd. 1. b. and d.
SB21-SSA1,962,96 2. If the state aid payment under s. 121.08 is insufficient to cover the reduction
7under subd. 1., as determined under s. 121.085 (2), the department shall decrease
8other state aid payments made by the department to the school district by the
9remaining amount.
SB21-SSA1,962,1210 3. The department shall ensure that the decrease under subd. 1. does not affect
11the amount determined to be received by a school district as state aid under s. 121.08
12for any other purpose.
SB21-SSA1,962,15 13(5) School board duties. (a) Annually, each school board shall notify the
14parents of each child with a disability enrolled in the school district of the program
15under this section.
SB21-SSA1,962,1916 (b) Upon the request of a parent of a child receiving a scholarship under this
17section, the child's resident school board shall administer the appropriate
18examinations under s. 118.30 to the child at no cost if the private school the child
19attends does not administer them.
SB21-SSA1,962,2220 (c) The resident school board of a child receiving a scholarship under this
21section shall ensure that the child's individualized education program team
22reevaluates the child as provided in s. 115.782 (4).
SB21-SSA1,962,24 23(6) Private school duties. Each private school participating in the program
24under this section or receiving a payment under sub. (4m) shall do all of the following:
SB21-SSA1,963,2
1(a) Comply with all health and safety laws or codes that apply to private
2schools.
SB21-SSA1,963,93 (b) Hold a valid certificate of occupancy, if required by the municipality in which
4the school is located. If the municipality in which the school is located does not issue
5certificates of occupancy, the private school shall obtain a certificate of occupancy
6issued by the local or regional governmental unit with authority to issue certificates
7of occupancy or submit to the department a letter or form from the municipality in
8which the private school is located that explains that the municipality does not issue
9certificates of occupancy.
SB21-SSA1,963,1010(c) Comply with 42 USC 2000d.
SB21-SSA1,963,1411 (d) Conduct criminal background investigations of its employees and exclude
12from employment any person not permitted to hold a teaching license as the result
13of an offense and any person who might reasonably be believed to pose a threat to the
14safety of others.
SB21-SSA1,963,2115 (e) Annually submit to the department a school financial information report,
16prepared by a certified public accountant, that complies with uniform financial
17accounting standards established by the department by rule. The report shall be
18accompanied by an auditor's statement that the report is free of material
19misstatements and fairly represents pupil costs. The report shall be limited in scope
20to those records that are necessary for the department to make payments to the
21private school.
SB21-SSA1,963,2422 (f) If the private school expects to receive at least $50,000 in scholarships under
23this section during a school year, do one of the following before the beginning of the
24school year:
SB21-SSA1,964,3
11. File with the department a surety bond payable to the state in an amount
2equal to 25 percent of the total amount of scholarships expected to be received by the
3private school during the school year under this section.
SB21-SSA1,964,74 2. File with the department financial information demonstrating that the
5private school has the ability to pay an amount equal to the total amount of
6scholarships expected to be received by the private school during the school year
7under this section.
SB21-SSA1,964,128 (g) Provide to each applicant under sub. (2) (f) a profile of the private school's
9special education program, in a form prescribed by the department, that includes the
10methods of instruction that will be used by the school to provide special education
11and related services to the child and the qualifications of the teachers and other
12persons who will be providing special education and related services to the child.
SB21-SSA1,964,1713 (h) 1. Implement the child's most recent individualized education program or
14services plan, as modified by agreement between the private school and the child's
15parent, and related services agreed to by the private school and the child's parent
16that are not included in the child's individualized education program or services
17plan.
SB21-SSA1,964,2118 2. Provide a record of the implementation of the child's individualized
19education program or services plan under subd. 1., including an evaluation of the
20child's progress, to the school board of the school district in which the child resides
21in the form and manner prescribed by the department.
SB21-SSA1,964,2322 (i) Regularly report to the parent of a child attending the private school and
23receiving a scholarship under this section on the child's progress.
SB21-SSA1,965,3
1(7) Transportation. Section 121.54 applies to the transportation of a child to
2and from the private school he or she is attending under a scholarship awarded under
3this section.
SB21-SSA1,965,6 4(8) Penalties. (a) The department may bar a private school from participating
5in the program under this section if the department determines that the private
6school has done any of the following:
SB21-SSA1,965,87 1. Intentionally and substantially misrepresented information required under
8sub. (6).
SB21-SSA1,965,99 2. Routinely failed to comply with the standards under sub. (6) (e) or (f).
SB21-SSA1,965,1210 3. Used a child's scholarship for any purpose other than educational purposes
11or rebated, refunded, or shared a child's scholarship with a child or a child's parent
12or guardian.
SB21-SSA1,965,1313 4. Failed to refund to the state, within 60 days, any scholarship overpayments.
SB21-SSA1,965,1814 (b) If the department bars a private school from participating in the program
15under this section, it shall notify all children eligible to participate in the program
16and their parents as quickly as possible. A child who is receiving a scholarship and
17attending a private school barred from the program may continue to receive the
18scholarship if the child attends another participating private school.
SB21-SSA1,965,21 19(9) Study. (a) The legislative audit bureau shall contract for a study of the
20program under this section with one or more researchers who have experience
21evaluating school choice programs. The study shall evaluate all of the following:
SB21-SSA1,965,2322 1. The level of satisfaction with the program expressed by participating
23children and their parents.
SB21-SSA1,966,3
12. The percentage of participating children who were victimized because of
2their special needs at their resident school district and the percentage of such
3children at their participating school.
SB21-SSA1,966,64 3. The percentage of participating children who exhibited behavioral problems
5at their resident school district and the percentage of such children at their
6participating school.
SB21-SSA1,966,87 4. The average class size at participating children's resident school districts
8and at their participating schools.
SB21-SSA1,966,99 5. The fiscal impact of the program on the state and on resident school districts.
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