Acceptance and rejection criteria and procedures for the interdistrict
enrollment options program are identical to the acceptance and rejection criteria and
procedures for the interdistrict school choice program.
The school board of the school district of residence must pay to the school board
of the other school district an amount equal to the cost of providing the course to a
nonresident pupil under the program, as determined by the state superintendent.
This bill creates, in the office of the governor, a standards development council
consisting of the lieutenant governor, a representative of the department of public
instruction (DPI), legislators and one public member. The bill directs the governor
to submit to the council pupil academic standards in mathematics, science, reading
and writing, geography and history. The council must review the standards and may
modify them. By September 15, 1997, the council must transmit its recommended
standards to the governor. By October 15, 1997, the governor must approve or
disapprove the standards. If the governor approves the standards, he or she must
issue them as an executive order.
The bill also directs each school board, by August 1, 1998, to adopt pupil
academic standards. If the governor has issued approved standards, the school
board may adopt those standards. In addition, DPI must develop a high school
graduation examination designed to measure whether pupils meet the standards
approved by the governor. Each school board must adopt a high school graduation
examination designed to measure whether pupils meet the standards adopted by the
school board. If the school board has adopted the standards approved by the
governor, it may satisfy this requirement by adopting the high school graduation
examination developed by DPI.
Beginning in the 1999-2000 school year, the bill directs each school board to
administer the high school graduation examination adopted by the school board.
Beginning on September 1, 2001, a school board may not grant a high school diploma
to any pupil unless the pupil has passed the high school graduation examination.
A school board must provide a pupil with at least 4 opportunities to take the
examination in grades 9 to 12.
Under current law, a charter school is a school operated by an individual (or
group) who has entered into a contract with a school board. The school board is
responsible for overseeing the operation of the charter school and may revoke the
charter school contract under certain circumstances. A charter school is exempt from
most laws governing public schools.
This bill permits the city of Milwaukee, the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UW-Milwaukee) and the Milwaukee area technical college
(MATC) to establish and operate charter schools or to contract with an individual or
group to operate charter schools. These charter schools must be located in the
Milwaukee public school district (MPS) and only pupils who reside in MPS may
attend them. The city of Milwaukee, UW-Milwaukee and MATC are responsible for
either operating or overseeing the operation of their respective charter schools and
may revoke their charter school contracts under certain circumstances.
For each pupil attending one of these charter schools, the bill directs DPI to pay
to the operator of the charter school an amount equal to MPS's shared cost per
member (the amount of MPS's school expenditures for which state aid is payable
under the general equalization aid formula divided by the MPS enrollment) in the
previous school year. DPI must reduce the general equalization aid to which MPS
is entitled by the same amount.
Under current law, a charter school may be established either by school board
initiative or by a written petition signed by: 1) at least 10% of the teachers employed
by the school district; or 2) at least 50% of the teachers employed at one school of the
school district. Within 30 days after receiving such a petition, the school board must
hold a public hearing on the petition. After the hearing, the school board may grant
the petition. The MPS board, however, must either grant or deny a petition within
30 days after the required public hearing. If the MPS board denies a petition, the
person seeking to establish the charter school may appeal the denial to DPI. DPI's
decision is final and is not subject to a court's review. In addition, a contract to operate
a charter school may be for any term not exceeding 5 school years and may be
renewed for one or more terms not exceeding 5 school years.
This bill eliminates the requirement that a petition be signed by a certain
percentage of teachers, unless the charter school replaces a public school in whole or
in part. If a school board is petitioned to establish a charter school it must either
grant or deny the petition within 30 days following the required public hearing. If
a school board denies the petition, the person seeking to establish the charter school
may appeal the denial to DPI. DPI's decision is final and is not subject to a court's
review. The bill also provides that a contract to operate a charter school may be for
any term and may be renewed for any term.
Current law provides that a charter school is an instrumentality of the school
district in which it is located and the school board of that school district must employ
all personnel for the charter school. This provision does not apply to charter schools
located in MPS. This bill requires the MPS board to determine whether a charter
school located in MPS and under contract with the MPS board is an instrumentality
of MPS. If the MPS board determines that the charter school is an instrumentality
of MPS, then the MPS board must employ all personnel for the charter school; if the
MPS board determines that the charter school is not an instrumentality of MPS, then
the MPS board may not hire any personnel for the charter school. The bill also
provides that a charter school established by the city of Milwaukee, UW-Milwaukee
or MATC is not an instrumentality of MPS and that the MPS board may not hire any
personnel for that charter school.
Current law requires school boards to administer certain statewide
examinations to pupils and to ensure that instructional staff of public and charter
schools hold licenses and permits issued by DPI. Under this bill, the city of
Milwaukee, UW-Milwaukee and MATC are required to assume these
responsibilities for their respective charter schools. Current law limits the increase
in the total amount of revenue that a school district may receive from general school
aids and property taxes unless the electors in the school district approve a higher
limit by referendum. In each school year, the maximum allowable increase per pupil
is $206. The limit is based on the difference between the average number of pupils
enrolled in the 3 previous school years and the average number of pupils enrolled in
the current and 2 preceding school years. This bill provides that, beginning in the
1998-99 school year, the number of pupils enrolled for MPS excludes pupils
attending the charter schools established by the city of Milwaukee, UW-Milwaukee
or MATC in the 3 previous school years.
Under current law, the number of pupils enrolled for determining MPS revenue
limits excludes the number of pupils attending private schools under the Milwaukee
parental choice program, under which eligible pupils in MPS may attend certain
private schools at state expense. Beginning in the 1997-98 school year, this bill
provides that for MPS the number of pupils enrolled excludes pupils attending
private schools under the Milwaukee parental choice program in the 3 previous
school years, resulting in less of a decrease in the revenue limit for MPS.
Under current law, several exceptions to the revenue limit exist, including an
exception for a school district with a per pupil base revenue for the previous school
year that is less than the statutorily prescribed revenue ceiling of $5,600 per pupil.
Such a school district is allowed to increase its per pupil revenue up to this ceiling
without holding a referendum. This bill changes the revenue ceiling to $5,800 per
pupil for the 1997-98 school year and to $6,000 per pupil in subsequent school years.
Under the current enrollment options program, a public school pupil enrolled
in the 11th or 12th grade may enroll in an institution of higher education (a UW
campus, a technical college or a private, nonprofit institution of higher education
located in this state) to take one or more courses under certain circumstances. If the
course is taken for high school credit and is not comparable to a course offered in the
pupil's school district of residence (as determined by the school board of that school
district), the school board must pay the institution of higher education the cost of the
pupil's tuition, fees and books. If the pupil is taking a course for postsecondary credit
or a course that is comparable to a course offered in the school district, the pupil is
responsible for the tuition and fees.
This bill renames the enrollment options program the "youth options program"
and makes a number of other changes, including:
1. The bill treats attendance at a technical college differently from attendance
at a UW campus or a private college. Under the bill, a pupil may attend a technical
college under the youth options program if he or she has completed the 10th grade,
is in good academic standing and is not a child at risk (a child who is behind his or
her age group in the number of high school credits attained or in basic skill levels and
who is a dropout, habitual truant, parent or adjudicated delinquent). The technical
college must admit the pupil (unless the pupil has a record of disciplinary problems)
and must ensure that the pupil's program meets the high school graduation
requirements.
2. The bill removes from the program, for technical colleges as well as for other
institutions of higher education, all references to comparability of courses. Under
the bill, if a pupil attends a UW campus, the school board must pay the UW an
amount equal to the cost of tuition, fees and books for the course. If a pupil attends
a private institution of higher education, the school board must pay the institution
the cost of tuition, fees and books, or an amount equal to the statewide average cost
per high school credit multiplied by the number of credits for which the pupil is
attending, whichever is less. If a pupil attends a technical college for less than 7
credits, the school board must pay the technical college the cost of tuition, fees and
books. If the pupil attends a technical college for 7 credits or more, the school board
must pay the technical college the school district's average cost per pupil for regular
instruction and instructional support services multiplied by an amount equal to the
number of credits taken by the pupil divided by 15. The bill specifies that the pupil
is not responsible for any portion of the tuition and fees for the course, regardless of
whether the course is comparable to a course offered in the school district and
regardless of whether the pupil takes the course for high school or postsecondary
credit.
Under current law, each school board must provide access to an education for
employment program approved by the state superintendent of public instruction.
This bill requires each school board to provide, instead, access to a school-to-work
program that has been approved by the department of industry, labor and job
development (DILJD). (See Employment.) The bill also transfers 13 positions
associated with school-to-work programs from DPI to DILJD.
Under current law, each school board must establish a technical preparation
program in each high school in cooperation with a technical college district board.
The program must consist of a sequence of courses, approved by the technical college
system (TCS) board, that are designed to allow high school pupils to gain advanced
standing in the technical college district's associate degree program upon graduation
from high school. This bill provides that the program must integrate applied
academic and technical competency-based curricula and be designed to provide high
school juniors and seniors with both high school and technical college credit or with
advanced standing in a postsecondary institution upon graduation from high school.
The bill directs the state superintendent, DILJD and the TCS board to assist school
districts in developing their programs.
Current law directs DPI, the department of administration (DOA) and the
legislative fiscal bureau (LFB) to jointly certify to the joint committee on finance
(JCF) an estimate of the amount necessary to appropriate as general school aid to
ensure that the sum of state school aids and the school levy tax credit equals 66.7%
of the sum of state school aids and property taxes levied for schools. The amount
appropriated as school aid is a sum sufficient equal to the amount determined by
JCF.
This bill eliminates this process. The bill provides that, beginning in the
1997-98 school year, the amount appropriated is a sum certain determined through
the biennial budget process. Beginning in 1999, the bill directs the governor, by
February 15 of each odd-numbered year, to submit to JCF an estimate of the amount
necessary to appropriate as general school aid in each of the following 2 school years
to ensure that the sum of state school aids and the school levy tax credit in each of
those school years equals two-thirds of the sum of state school aids and property
taxes levied for schools.
Under current law, a school board may apply to DPI for a grant to fund one or
more prevention and intervention programs, including a families and schools
together program, an after-school and summer school program and several alcohol
and other drug abuse programs. This bill transfers administration of these grant
programs from DPI to the department of health and family services (DHFS).
Under current law, referenda are required or authorized to be held by school
districts in order to incur debt or exceed the revenue limits, or to exceed the levy rate
limit for a school construction fund that is applicable only to the Milwaukee Public
Schools. Currently, these referenda are required or authorized to be held at special
elections when no offices appear on the ballot.
This bill provides that such referenda must be held concurrently with the
spring election (held in each year) or the general election (held in each
even-numbered year) or on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in
odd-numbered years.
The 1995-97 biennial budget act (
1995 Wisconsin Act 27) made a number of
changes with respect to the powers of the state superintendent of public instruction
and the name and structure of DPI. The act:
1. Changed the name of DPI to the department of education (DOE).
2. Created an 11-member education commission, including the state
superintendent as chairperson, to function as the policy-making unit for DOE.
3. Vested the administrative powers and duties of DOE in a secretary of
education, to be appointed by the governor with senate confirmation.
4. Assigned all duties and powers of the state superintendent to the secretary
of education and DOE.
5. Created an office of the state superintendent attached to DOE.
On March 29, 1996, the Wisconsin Supreme Court held that all of the provisions
of
1995 Wisconsin Act 27 relating to the above items were unconstitutional and
therefore void.
Thompson v. Craney, 199 Wis. 2d 674.
This bill revises the statutes, including those sections of the statutes that relate
to the constitutional issues but that were not specified by the court, to make them
consistent with the court's decision. The bill also reenacts certain provisions of the
statutes that were voided by the court but that were unrelated to the constitutional
issues before the court. (See Other educational and cultural agencies.)
Current law requires each school board to obtain the advice and consent of the
state superintendent of public instruction when determining the course of study and
the minimum standards for admission to high school and requires the state
superintendent to preapprove summer school courses and to prescribe procedures,
conditions and standards for early admission to kindergarten and first grade.
This bill eliminates these requirements, requires the state superintendent to
promulgate rules governing preapproval of summer school courses and requires each
school board to prescribe its own procedures, conditions and standards for early
admission.
Current law directs DPI annually to convene a convention composed of the
representative from each school board in a cooperative educational service agency
(CESA), which provides services to school districts. The convention must be held on
the day of the annual organizational meeting for the CESA. The convention must
establish bylaws for governing the agency. This bill eliminates the involvement of
DPI in the calling of the convention.
Current law requires each CESA to provide to each member school board, every
3rd year, an accountability plan that addresses both the efficiency and effectiveness
of agency programs and services. In addition, every 3rd year each CESA must
submit to DPI for its approval an evaluation of agency programs and services. This
bill eliminates these requirements.
Current law authorizes DPI to maintain an administrative leadership academy
to enhance the knowledge and skills of mid-career school district administrators and
principals. This bill eliminates this provision.
Higher education
Technical college system
This bill directs the TCS board to assist secondary schools in the development
and implementation of school-to-work programs. The bill authorizes the TCS board
to contract with school boards to provide school districts with school-to-work
services. (See Employment.)
The bill also provides that if a technical college district board contracts with a
school board to provide youth apprenticeship instruction to pupils enrolled in the
school district, the district board may not charge, for each pupil receiving such
instruction, an amount that is greater than the school district's average instructional
cost per pupil.
Current law authorizes a TCS district board to charge a fee, in addition to the
program fee established by the state TCS board, for certain court-approved alcohol
or other drug abuse education programs.
This bill also allows an additional fee for the following:
1. A short-term, professional development, vocational-adult seminar or
workshop offered to individuals who are employed in a related field.
2. With the approval of the state TCS director, a vocational-adult course
intended to improve an individual's skills beyond the entry level if the course is
required by law, rule or regulation, or by a professional organization, to maintain
licensure or certification in the individual's field of employment.
The additional fee may not exceed an amount equal to the full cost of the course
less the program fee established by the state TCS board.
Current law directs the TCS board annually to establish uniform fees for
students who are not residents of this state based on 100% of the statewide cost per
full-time equivalent student for operating the programs in which they are enrolled.
This bill provides that the TCS state director may authorize a TCS district
board to charge a nonresident who is enrolled in a course provided through the use
of distance education a fee that is less than the fee described above, although not less
than would be charged a resident student.
University of Wisconsin System
Under current law, the maximum salaries for all of the following positions at
the University of Wisconsin (UW) System are established in the compensation plan:
the president of the UW System, the chancellors of the UW-Madison and
UW-Milwaukee, the vice presidents, the chancellors of the UW System campuses at
Eau Claire, Green Bay, La Crosse, Oshkosh, Parkside, Platteville, River Falls,
Stevens Point, Stout, Superior and Whitewater, the chancellors of the UW-Center
System and the UW-Extension, the vice chancellor for health sciences of the
UW-Madison and the vice chancellor who is serving as a deputy at each UW campus
and the UW-Center System and the UW-Extension.
This bill authorizes the board of regents of the UW System to set the salary of
a new appointment to any of these positions at an amount that exceeds the maximum
amount established in the compensation plan if the board submits to the secretary
of administration a report that identifies the competitive factors that necessitate the
establishment of such a salary and the secretary of administration approves the
salary. In addition, the bill provides that the board of regents may not establish the
salary of a new appointment to any of these positions, regardless of the amount of
the salary, without the approval of the secretary of administration.
Under current law, the board of regents is authorized to increase the salaries
of the positions identified above by an amount that is greater than that authorized
in the compensation plan, if the salary increase is granted "to correct a salary
inequity or to recognize competitive factors". The cost of any such salary increase
must be paid from the appropriation or appropriations that are used to fund the
position of the person who is granted the salary increase. This bill provides that if
the cost of any salary increase "to correct a salary inequity or to recognize competitive
factors" would otherwise be chargeable to a general purpose revenue appropriation
to the board of regents, the cost may instead be paid from academic student fee
revenue. In addition, the bill provides that any such salary increase is subject to the
approval of the secretary of administration.
Under current law, the board of regents is authorized to increase the salaries
of faculty and academic staff by an amount that is greater than that provided in the
proposal governing salary increases for faculty and academic staff that is approved
by the joint committee on employment relations if the salary increase is granted "to
correct a salary inequity or to recognize competitive factors". The cost of any such
salary increase must be paid from the appropriation or appropriations that are used
to fund the position of the person who is granted the salary increase. This bill
provides that if the cost of any salary increase "to correct a salary inequity or to
recognize competitive factors" would otherwise be chargeable to a general purpose
revenue appropriation to the board of regents, the cost may instead be paid from
academic student fee revenue. These salary increases are not subject to the approval
of the secretary of administration.
Under current law, promotional appointments to vacant positions in the state
classified service must be made only according to merit and fitness and are generally
based on competitive examination and filled from promotional registers. This bill
provides that for a promotional appointment to a vacant position in the classified
service at the UW System, the appointing authority is not required to base the
appointment on competitive examination or to fill the position from a promotional
register when the position is to be filled by a person who, at the time of appointment,
is employed in a permanent position at the UW System. This bill does not affect the
requirement that promotions in the classified service at the UW System must be
made only according to merit and fitness.
Currently, the board of regents of the UW System may set academic student
fees. The board is appropriated, from revenues generated by academic student fees,
a specified amount for degree credit instruction, plus an amount equal to not more
than the amount by which the expenditure estimate for the appropriation (as
submitted by the board to the secretary of administration and approved by the
secretary) exceeded actual expenditures from the appropriation in the previous fiscal
year.
This bill authorizes the board of regents to spend for degree credit instruction,
in addition to the amounts described above, an amount equal to 5% of the amount
appropriated for that purpose, if sufficient revenues are available.
In addition, in the 2nd fiscal year of a fiscal biennium, the bill authorizes the
board of regents to spend for degree credit instruction, in addition to the amounts
described above, an amount equal to 5% of the sum of the amount appropriated for
this purpose and the 5% amount determined in the previous fiscal year, if sufficient
revenues are available.
Current law authorizes the board of regents of the of the UW System to transfer
moneys in program revenue appropriations to other program revenue
appropriations. The moneys must be repaid before the end of the fiscal year in which
the transfer was made.
This bill allows the board of regents, upon the request of the UW-Extension or
any institution or center within the system, to transfer surplus moneys from the
program revenue appropriation for auxiliary enterprises (such as housing facilities,
dining halls and parking facilities) to a newly created program revenue
appropriation for the one-time, fixed-duration costs of any student-related activity.
The moneys need not be repaid.
Current law prohibits the board of regents of the UW System from
accumulating any auxiliary reserve funds from student fees unless the fees and the
reserve funds are approved by the secretary of administration and JCF. This bill
eliminates this provision.
Current law requires the board of regents of the UW System to charge a $28 fee
for each application for admittance to the UW System except that the board must
charge a $38 fee for each application to a graduate school, law school or medical
school within the system. This bill increases the fees to $35 and $45, effective with
applications for admittance in the fall of 1998.
Current law authorizes the board of regents of the UW System, in the 1993-94
to 1996-97 academic years, to exempt from nonresident tuition up to 200 juniors and
seniors enrolled at the UW-Parkside in programs with surplus capacity and up to
150 students enrolled at the UW-Superior in programs with surplus capacity. This
bill extends the tuition award program through the 1998-99 fiscal biennium.
Current law also directs the board of regents to charge a student who is exempt
from nonresident tuition under the tuition award program either the resident tuition
charged at the institution in which the student is enrolled or the resident tuition
charged by the public, 4-year institution closest to the student's permanent
residence. This bill eliminates this provision. The bill also eliminates the
requirement that the board of regents submit an annual report to the secretary of
administration regarding the proposed tuition level for each student who is exempt
from nonresident tuition under the program.
Under current law, moneys for degree credit instruction at the UW System are
provided to the board of regents of the UW System in a single, sum certain
appropriation. This bill creates a separate appropriation for credit outreach
instruction sponsored by the UW-Extension under which the board is permitted to
spend without limitation any revenue collected from that instruction.
