Current law allows up to 7% of the enrollment of the Milwaukee Public Schools
(MPS) to attend, at no charge, any private school located in the city of Milwaukee
under certain circumstances. (In the 1996-97 school year, the limit is increased to
15%.) The state pays the parent or guardian of the pupil an amount equal to the
amount of per pupil aid that MPS receives from the state or an amount equal to the
private school's educational cost per pupil, whichever is less. Payment is made in 4
instalments, in September, November, February and May. The parent or guardian
must endorse the checks for the use of the private school. The state reduces the MPS
school aid entitlement, for each pupil participating in the program, by the amount
of per pupil aid that MPS would otherwise receive.
This bill makes a number of changes to the MPS parental choice program,
including the following:
1. The bill requires each participating private school to have a formally
constituted governing board.
2. The bill requires each governing board to adopt bylaws.
3. The bill requires each participating private school to have a financial
statement approved by its governing board, a staff grievance procedure and a parent
complaint procedure.
4. The bill directs the department of education (DOE) to extend its educational
assessment program to the participating private schools.
5. The bill extends the pupil assessment program (requiring each school
district to test its pupils in the 4th, 8th and 10th grades and requiring the

administration of a 3rd grade reading test) to pupils attending the participating
private schools.
6. Beginning in the 1996-97 school year, the bill prohibits DOE from making
the November and February payments until it has verified the private school's
enrollment and the eligibility to attend the private school of every pupil for whom
payment has been requested.
7. Beginning in the 1997-98 school year, the bill prohibits a private school from
participating in the program unless DOE certifies that as of June 30 of the previous
school year any overpayment made by DOE to the private school has been repaid.
8. The bill requires a private school to notify DOE of the school's intent to
participate in the program by February 1 of the school year preceding the school year
in which it intends to participate. Under current law, the deadline is May 1 of the
preceding school year.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB1008, s. 1 1Section 1. 115.28 (10) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB1008,2,92 115.28 (10) Educational assessment. Develop an educational assessment
3program to measure objectively the adequacy and efficiency of educational programs
4offered by public schools in this state and offered by private schools participating in
5the program under s. 119.23
. The program shall include methods by which pupil
6achievement in reading, mathematics, writing, science, social science and other
7areas of instruction commonly offered by public schools will be objectively measured
8each year. Assessment shall be undertaken at several grade levels on a uniform,
9statewide basis.
AB1008, s. 2 10Section 2. 118.30 (1m) (a), (am) and (b) of the statutes, as created by 1995
11Wisconsin Act 27
, are amended to read:
AB1008,3,212 118.30 (1m) (a) Beginning in the 1996-97 school year, administer the 4th grade
13examination to all pupils enrolled in the school district, including pupils enrolled in

1charter schools located in the school district and pupils attending private schools
2under s. 119.23 located in the school district
, in the 4th grade.
AB1008,3,63 (am) Administer the 8th grade examination to all pupils enrolled in the school
4district, including pupils enrolled in charter schools located in the school district and
5pupils attending private schools under s. 119.23 located in the school district
, in the
68th grade.
AB1008,3,107 (b) Administer the 10th grade examination to all pupils enrolled in the school
8district, including pupils enrolled in charter schools located in the school district and
9pupils attending private schools under s. 119.23 located in the school district
, in the
1010th grade.
AB1008, s. 3 11Section 3. 119.23 (2) (a) 3. of the statutes, as affected by 1995 Wisconsin Act
1227
, is amended to read:
AB1008,3,1613 119.23 (2) (a) 3. The private school notified the department of its intent to
14participate in the program under this section by May February 1 of the previous
15school year. The notice shall specify the number of pupils participating in the
16program under this section for which the school has space.
AB1008, s. 4 17Section 4. 119.23 (2) (a) 6. of the statutes is created to read:
AB1008,3,2018 119.23 (2) (a) 6. The private school has a formally constituted governing board,
19a financial statement approved by the governing board, a staff grievance procedure,
20a parent complaint procedure and bylaws.
AB1008, s. 5 21Section 5. 119.23 (2) (a) 7. of the statutes is created to read:
AB1008,3,2422 119.23 (2) (a) 7. The department certifies that as of June 30 of the current school
23year any overpayment made to the private school under sub. (4) (a) in the current
24school year has been repaid.
AB1008, s. 6
1Section 6. 119.23 (4) of the statutes, as affected by 1995 Wisconsin Act 27, is
2renumbered 119.23 (4) (a).
AB1008, s. 7 3Section 7. 119.23 (4) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
AB1008,4,94 119.23 (4) (b) Before making the payments in November and February under
5par. (a), the department shall verify the enrollment of the private school and the
6eligibility of each pupil attending the private school under this section to do so. The
7department may not make any payment to a private school in November or February
8under par. (a) until the private school's enrollment and the eligibility to attend the
9private school of every pupil for whom payment has been requested has been verified.
AB1008, s. 8 10Section 8. 121.02 (1) (r) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB1008,4,1411 121.02 (1) (r) Annually administer a standardized reading test developed by
12the department to all pupils enrolled in the school district in grade 3, including pupils
13enrolled in charter schools located in the school district and pupils attending private
14schools under s. 119.23 located in the school district
.
AB1008, s. 9 15Section 9. Appropriation changes.
AB1008,4,2016 (1) In the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the statutes for the appropriation
17to the department of education under section 20.255 (1) (a) of the statutes, as affected
18by the acts of 1995, the dollar amount is increased by $75,000 for fiscal year 1996-97
19to increase the authorized FTE positions for the department by 1.0 GPR position for
20the administration of the Milwaukee parental choice program.
AB1008, s. 10 21Section 10. Initial applicability.
AB1008,4,2322 (1) The treatment of section 119.23 (2) (a) 3. of the statutes first applies to
23notifications of intent to participate in the 1997-98 school year.
AB1008, s. 11 24Section 11. Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after
25publication, except as follows:
AB1008,5,2
1(1) The treatment of section 119.23 (2) (a) 3. and 7. and (4) of the statutes and
2the creation of section 119.23 (4) (b) of the statutes take effect on July 1, 1996.
AB1008,5,33 (End)
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