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.
Currently, with certain exceptions, no position may be created or abolished
unless authorized by law, by JCF or, for positions funded from federal revenue, by
the governor. Current law allows the board of regents of the UW System to create
or abolish positions funded from certain appropriations. This bill allows the board
of regents to create or abolish positions funded from the newly created appropriation
for UW-Extension credit instruction.
Other educational and cultural agencies
Currently, the educational technology board (ETB) awards state "pioneering
partners" grants and approves state trust fund loans and loan interest subsidies to
certain local governments for the purpose of implementing, expanding or
participating in educational technology projects or distance education projects
(projects involving the use of communications equipment to facilitate long-distance
instruction).
This bill eliminates the ETB and the pioneering partners program. The bill
retains state trust fund loans for educational technology and distance education
projects (although eliminating ETB involvement) and extends until the 2002-03
fiscal year the reserve of $15,000,000 for such loans to school districts, counties,
municipalities and consortia of certain local governments. Currently, the reserve
applies only through the 1999-2000 fiscal year.
The bill creates a technology for educational achievement in Wisconsin board
(TEAWB) composed of the state superintendent of public instruction, the secretary
of administration and 7 other members, one of whom must be a member of the board
of regents of the UW System and one of whom must be a member of the TCS board.
The bill authorizes the governor to appoint an executive director of the TEAWB
outside the classified service and authorizes the executive director to appoint
subordinate staff, subject to authorization of positions for the TEAWB.
The bill directs the TEAWB to promote the efficient, cost-effective
procurement, installation and maintenance of educational technology by school
districts, CESAs, technical college districts and the UW System. The TEAWB is
specifically directed to support the development of courses and, with the consent of
DOA, enter into cooperative purchasing agreements whereby school districts and
CESA's may contract for courses to be provided to professional employes concerning
the effective use of educational technology.
The bill creates a subsidized educational technology infrastructure loan
program. Under the program, the state is authorized to issue general obligation
bonds in a total amount not to exceed $50,000,000 before July 1, 1998, and
$100,000,000 thereafter. The term of this debt may not exceed 10 years. The
proceeds of these bonds are used to make subsidized educational technology
infrastructure loans to school districts. The loans may be used for the purpose of
upgrading electrical wiring of existing school buildings and installing and upgrading
computer network wiring. The application procedures, terms and conditions for the
loans are set primarily by rules to be promulgated by the TEAWB, except that the
interest rate is to be set based on the state's interest expenses and the expenses of
providing reserves against default. The bill directs DOA to provide or contract for
the provision of building construction services on behalf of school districts for the
installation or maintenance of electrical and computer network wiring, at the
expense of the school districts, if the districts finance that installation or
maintenance with loans from the TEAWB. The repayment of the loans is subsidized
so that school districts only pay 50% of the total debt service on the loans.
The bill appropriates moneys to the TEAWB to award grants to CESAs and
school districts for educational technology purposes. The bill also appropriates to the
TEAWB moneys from the common school fund to be distributed to school districts for
educational technology purposes.
The bill also permits DOA to accept orders from the TEAWB on behalf of school
districts, CESAs, technical college districts and the UW System for the purchase of
educational technology materials, supplies, equipment and contractual services.
The bill permits school districts, CESAs and public educational institutions to lease
educational technology equipment from the TEAWB with an option to purchase the
equipment.
The bill appropriates moneys to the board of regents of the UW System to carry
out educational technology projects, including the student information system, the
development of curricula to train students enrolled in the schools of education in the
use of educational technology in primary and secondary schools, to provide faculty
with educational technology and to train faculty in its use.
The bill appropriates moneys to the TCS board to award grants to district
boards for faculty development programs in the use of emerging technologies in
curriculum and instruction.
The bill requires the public service commission (PSC), in consultation with the
TEAWB and DOA, to establish an educational telecommunications access program
under which school districts are provided with high-speed data transfer lines (data
lines) or 2-way interactive video links (video links). Under the program, DOA
contracts with telecommunications providers for the data lines and video links and
charges a school district not more than $250 per month per data line or video link.
Any costs incurred by DOA that exceed $250 per month are paid from the universal
service fund, which is a state segregated fund that consists of contributions made by
certain telecommunications service providers and that is used to promote universal
access to telecommunications services.
