Thursday, December 17, 1998
Ninety-Third Regular Session
The Chief Clerk makes the following entries under the above date:
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Referral of Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Department of Health and Family Services
Madison
December 4, 1998
To the honorable, the Assembly:
I am enclosing the Department's report on the future of the state Centers for the Developmentally Disabled, as required by section s.
9132(1xyg) of
1997 Wisconsin Act 27.
Sincerely,
Joe Leean
Secretary, DHFS
Referred to committee on Children and Families.
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State of Wisconsin
Department of Commerce
Madison
December 7, 1998
To the honorable, the Assembly:
We are pleased to submit to you, the Recycling Market Development Board Quarterly Report for July through September 1998. We apologize for the tardiness of this report. Staff vacancies contributed to our inability to submit the Quarterly Report by October 31, 1998. Please accept our regrets and be assured that future reports will comply with statutory requirements for submittal deadlines.
In accordance to the statutory requirement, the Recycling Market Development Board is submitting the Quarterly Report to the Senate Chief Clerk and the Assembly Chief Clerk, for your review.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to update you on the Recycling Market Development Board activities. We hope this report will answer any questions you may have, as well as demonstrate the accomplishments we have made in our constant efforts to develop and sustain recycling markets in Wisconsin.
If you have any further question or comments, please contact me at (608) 267-9548.
Referred to committee on Environment.
Sincerely,
Gail Miller Wray
Executive Director
Recycling Market Development Board
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State of Wisconsin
Department of Employment Relations
Madison
December 14, 1998
To the honorable, the Assembly:
I am please to submit the Fiscal Year 1998 report on employment of customers of the Wisconsin Works (W-2) program. This report includes: (1) a description of each agency's efforts to employ W-2 customers, and (2) the number of W-2 customers under s.
49.19, Wis Stats., employed by each agency and the classification title of each position filled from July 1, 1997, through June 30, 1998.
Enclosed is a copy of the W-2 Hiring Report. Please contact Mr. Pepe Indalecio at 266-6475 if you have any questions or need additional information regarding this report.
Sincerely,
Jon E. Litscher
Secretary, DER
Referred to committee on Wisconsin Works Oversight.
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Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
Madison
December 8, 1998
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
A1004
As required by
1993 Wisconsin Act 16, we have completed an evaluation of the charter school program. Charter schools, which are exempt from most state education regulations, are established by school boards and, within the boundaries of Milwaukee Public Schools, by several other entities. During the 1997-98 school year, 18 charter schools enrolling 1,472 students spent an estimated $7.4 million in state, federal, and local funds.
Although charter schools took advantage of their exemption from most state education regulations to provide greater flexibility in school operations, the schools' educational programs often resembled those of other district schools. However, some districts did use the opportunity the law provides to implement programs unique within their districts.
Several concerns have been raised about charter schools, including whether they receive equitable funding or discriminate during the admission process. We found problems with some school admissions policies and procedures. In addition to recommending that the Legislature amend statutes to require random admissions lotteries, we present a number of best practices for consideration by school boards when they establish charter schools.
The program's expansion will likely be affected by a number of unresolved issues, including responsibility for providing special education services to students in charter schools in Milwaukee. In addition, if the Legislature wishes to foster the creation of additional charter schools, it could allow entities other than school board, such as public university campuses, to establish charter schools statewide.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by the staff at the 18 charter schools and by officials of the Department of Public Instruction, which has limited administrative responsibility for the program. The Department's response in Appendix III.
Sincerely,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
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State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
Madison
December 10, 1998
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
This report is transmitted as required by sec. 20.002(11)(f) of the Wisconsin Statutes (for distribution to the appropriate standing committees under sec. 13.172(3) Stats.), and confirms that the Department of Administration has found it necessary to exercise the "temporary reallocation of balances" authority provided by this section in order to meet payment responsibilities and cover resulting negative balances during the month of November 1998.
On November 1, 1998 the Wisconsin Health Education Loan Repayment Fund balance was -$2 thousand. this shortfall continued into the month of December 1998. This shortfall was due to the timing of revenues.
On November 19, 1998 the Wisconsin Petroleum Inspection Fund balance was -$737 thousand. this shortfall continued until November 24, 1998 when the balance reached $8.32 million. This shortfall was due to the timing of revenues.
The Wisconsin Health Education Loan Repayment Fund and Wisconsin Petroleum Inspection Fund shortfalls were not in excess of the statutory interfund borrowing limitation and did not exceed the balances of the Funds available for interfund borrowing.
The distribution of interest earnings to investment pool participants is based on the average daily balance in the pool and each fund's share. Therefore, the monthly calculation by the State Controller's Office will automatically reflect the use of these temporary reallocations of balance authority.
