The Honorable, The Legislature:
As required by
1999 Wisconsin Act 9, we have completed an evaluation of the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, which is a statewide educational resource for students with visual impairments and for their parents and teachers. Act 9 created the Center and directed it to continue to operate the Wisconsin School for the Visually Handicapped, which is a residential school in Janesville; to offer youth and adult summer programs; and to provide outreach services to school districts statewide. In fiscal year (FY) 2001-02, the Center spent $7.1 million and had 95.1 authorized full-time equivalent staff positions. Outreach activities accounted for $1.4 million, or 19.7 percent, of expenditures in FY 2001-02.
Enrollment in the residential school increased from 62 students in the 1997-98 school year to 84 students in the 2001-02 school year; however, most students with visual impairments attend local school districts. Increasing short-term residential school enrollments is one of the Center's goals, but only 3.6 percent of students attended the residential school for 36 days or less in 2001-02.
The Center has made a number of the programmatic changes that were included in a May 2000 transition plan for implementing the provisions of Act 9, and it plans to make more. However, it does not expect to implement all of the plan's objectives, because the needs of students and educators have changed since the plan was developed. We include recommendations to assist the residential school in meeting its goal of providing more short-term enrollments and to make the Center's oversight of summer programs more effective. We also include a recommendation for the Center to provide the Joint Legislative Audit Committee with a strategic plan that sets program priorities and established quantitative measures by which progress can be assessed.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by the Department of Public Instruction. Its response follows the appendix.
Sincerely,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
State of Wisconsin
April 29, 2003
The Honorable, The Senate:
Pursuant to Senate Rule
20(2)(a) and
(b) I have appointed Senator Fitzgerald to the Joint Committee on Finance and removed Senator Kedzie.
With regards to members of the minority party, appointments are made based on the nominations of that caucus.
Sincerely,
Senator Mary Panzer
Senate Majority Leader
State of Wisconsin
Ethics Board
April 29, 2003
To the Honorable the Senate:
The following lobbyists have been authorized to act on behalf of the organizations set opposite their names.
For more detailed information about these lobbyists and organizations and a complete list of organizations and people authorized to lobby the 2001 session of the legislature, visit the Ethics Board's web site at
http://ethics.state.wi.us
Carey, Ray Johnson Diversey
Eisenberg, Alan D Share the Earth
Essie, Patrick MAXIMUS Inc
Fitzgerald, Moira E Bell Ambulance
Kammer, Peter MAXIMUS Inc
Kerksick, Julie New Hope Project, The
LaFreniere, Karin Share the Earth
S153
Lucksinger, Barbara
La Causa Inc
Medeiros, Anne Community Alliance of Providers of Wisconsin (CAPOW)
Rosen, Brian S Purdue Pharma LP
Sumi, Gail AARP
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 organizations that employ lobbyists.
Sincerely,
R. Roth Judd
Director
__________________
Relating to the expenditure limitation for dentures under the health care aid grant program.
Submitted by Department of Veterans Affairs.
Report received from Agency, April 23, 2003.
Referred to committee on Homeland Security, Veterans and Military Affairs and Government Reform,
April 29, 2003.
__________________
The committee on Health, Children, Families, Aging and Long Term Care reports and recommends:
Relating to notarized photographs.
No action taken.
Relating to admission requirements for all required professional examinations.
No action taken.
Carol Roessler
Chairperson
__________________
Senator A. Lasee, with unanimous consent, asked that the Senate adjourn until Thursday, May 1.
Adjourned.
10:01 A.M.
__________________
Corrections In:
2003 Assembly Bill 119
Prepared by the Legislative Reference Bureau
(April 25, 2003)
1. Page 5, line 20: delete ", as affected".
