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 programs'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
State of Wisconsin
Department of Commerce
December 7, 1998
The Honorable, The Senate:
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.
Sincerely,
Gail Miller Wray
Executive Director
Recycling Market Development Board
Department of Health and Family Services
December 4, 1998
The Honorable, The Senate:
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
State of Wisconsin
Ethics Board
December 8, 1998
The Honorable, The Senate:
At the direction of s.
13.685(7),
Wisconsin Statutes, I am furnishing you with the names of organizations recently registered with the Ethics Board that employ one or more individuals to affect state legislation or administrative rules, and notifying you of changes in the Ethics Board's records of licensed lobbyists and their employers. For each recently registered organization I have included the organization's description of the general area of legislative or administrative action that it attempts to influence and the name of each licensed lobbyist that the organization has authorized to act on its behalf.
Organization's authorization of additional lobbyists:
The following organizations previously registered with the Ethics Board have authorized to act on their behalf these additional licensed lobbyists:
Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association
McCoshen, William
Also available from the Wisconsin Ethics Board are reports identifying the amount and value of time state agencies have spent to affect legislative action and reports of expenditures for lobbying activities filed by the organizations that employ lobbyists.
Sincerely,
Roth Judd
Director
__________________
The committee on Business, Economic Development and Urban Affairs reports and recommends:
Relating to NFPA standards in the building code.
No action taken.
Relating to the issuance and use of administrative warnings.
No action taken.
Relating to continuing education, renewal, temporary practices, practical examinations, fitting of hearing instruments, use of titles, initials and designations and unlicensed practice.
No action taken.
Relating to construction site erosion control.
No action taken.
Relating to real estate appraisers.
No action taken.
Gary Drzewiecki
Chairperson
__________________
The committee on Education and Financial Institutions reports and recommends:
Relating to the Milwaukee parental school choice program.
No action taken.
Relating to grants for peer review and mentoring.
No action taken.
Relating to federal covered securities, federal covered advisers and investment adviser representatives.
No action taken.
Alberta Darling
Chairperson
The committee on Health, Family Services and Aging reports and recommends:
Relating to the operation of rural medical centers.
No action taken.
Relating to the health insurance risk-sharing plan.
No action taken.
Relating to critical access hospitals.
No action taken.
Carol Roessler
Chairperson