SB91: Bill Text

LRB-1665/1

FFK:wlj:jm

2015 - 2016 LEGISLATURE

2015 Senate BILL 91

March 27, 2015 - Introduced by Senators Wanggaard and Gudex, cosponsored by Representatives Weatherston, Ballweg, Bernier, Horlacher, Jacque, Kerkman, Kleefisch, Knodl, Kremer, Macco, Murphy, Nygren, A. Ott and Rohrkaste. Referred to Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges.

SB91,1,6 An Act to renumber and amend 118.40 (2r) (bm); to amend 118.40 (2r) (b) 1. d., 118.40 (2r) (c) 1. and 118.40 (7) (am) 2.; and to create 118.40 (2r) (bm) 4., 118.40 (2r) (c) 5. and 118.40 (2r) (cp) of the statutes; relating to: allowing each technical district board to authorize independent charter schools focused on occupational education and training or science, technology, engineering, and math.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, school boards may enter into contracts to establish charter schools, which operate with fewer constraints than traditional public schools. Current law also permits the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Milwaukee, UW-Parkside, Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), and the city of Milwaukee to establish charter schools directly or to contract for the operation of charter schools. A charter school established by an entity other than a school board is known as an independent charter school.

This bill allows each technical college district board, including the MATC district board, to authorize independent charter high schools that provide a curriculum focused on occupational education and training or science, technology, engineering, and math (independent charter technical schools). An independent charter technical school must be located within the boundaries of the authorizer's technical college district or in a county adjacent to the district. This bill does not otherwise affect MATC's authority under current law to authorize independent charter schools.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB91,1 Section 1. 118.40 (2r) (b) 1. d. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB91,2,2 118.40 (2r) (b) 1. d. The Milwaukee area Each technical college district board.

SB91,2 Section 2. 118.40 (2r) (bm) of the statutes is renumbered 118.40 (2r) (bm) 1. and amended to read:

SB91,2,11 118.40 (2r) (bm) 1. The common council of the city of Milwaukee and the Milwaukee area technical college district board may establish or enter into a contract for the establishment of a charter school located only in the school district operating under ch. 119, except that the Milwaukee area technical college district board may also establish or enter into a contract for the establishment of a charter school that satisfies the requirements under par. (cp) 1. that may be located in the Milwaukee area technical college district or in a county adjacent to the technical college district.

SB91,2,14 2. The chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee may establish or enter into a contract for the establishment of a charter school located only in Milwaukee County or in an adjacent county.

SB91,2,18 3. The chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside may only establish or enter into a contract for the establishment of a charter school located in a unified school district that is located in the county in which the University of Wisconsin-Parkside is situated or in an adjacent county.

SB91,3 Section 3. 118.40 (2r) (bm) 4. of the statutes is created to read:

SB91,3,4 118.40 (2r) (bm) 4. Except as provided in subd. 1., a technical college district board may establish or enter into a contract for the establishment of a charter school located only in the technical college district or in a county adjacent to the technical college district.

SB91,4 Section 4. 118.40 (2r) (c) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB91,3,8 118.40 (2r) (c) 1. Except as provided in subds. 3. and, 4., and 5., only pupils who reside in the school district in which a charter school established under this subsection is located may attend the charter school.

SB91,5 Section 5. 118.40 (2r) (c) 5. of the statutes is created to read:

SB91,3,13 118.40 (2r) (c) 5. a. A pupil who resides within the boundaries of a technical college district or in a county adjacent to the technical college district may attend a charter school established under par. (cp) by the technical college district board of that district.

SB91,3,18 b. If the Milwaukee area technical college district board establishes a charter school that satisfies the requirements under par. (cp) 1. that is located outside of the school district operating under ch. 119, any pupil who resides within the boundaries of the technical college district or in a county adjacent to the technical college district may attend that charter school.

SB91,6 Section 6. 118.40 (2r) (cp) of the statutes is created to read:

SB91,3,23 118.40 (2r) (cp) 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., a technical college district board may establish or enter into a contract for the establishment of a charter school under this section only if the charter school operates only high school grades and provides a curriculum focused on any of the following:

SB91,3,24 a. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

SB91,3,25 b. Occupational education and training.

SB91,4,2 2. Subdivision 1. does not apply to the Milwaukee area technical college district board.

SB91,7 Section 7. 118.40 (7) (am) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB91,4,13 118.40 (7) (am) 2. A charter school established under sub. (2r) or a private school located in the school district operating under ch. 119 that is converted to a charter school is not an instrumentality of any school district and no school board may employ any personnel for the charter school. If the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside contracts for the establishment of a charter school under sub. (2r), the board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System may employ instructional staff for the charter school. If a technical college district board contracts for the establishment of a charter school that satisfies the requirements under sub. (2r) (cp) 1., the technical college may employ instructional staff for the charter school.

SB91,4,14 (End)