AB173: Bill Text

LRB-1994/1

MJL:cmh&ksh:jf

1999 - 2000 LEGISLATURE

1999 Assembly BILL 173

March 8, 1999 - Introduced by Representatives M. Lehman, Huebsch, Owens, Goetsch, Reynolds, Hahn, Gunderson, Brandemuehl, Musser and Kelso, cosponsored by Senator Fitzgerald. Referred to Committee on Education.

AB173,1,3 An Act to amend 118.55 (2) (a), 118.55 (6) (a) and 118.55 (7w); and to create 118.55 (2) (am), 118.55 (7r) (ag) and 118.55 (7x) of the statutes; relating to: youth options program.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, with some exceptions, a public school pupil enrolled in the 11th or 12th grade may enroll in an institution of higher education or a technical college to take one or more courses if he or she notifies the school board of the school district in which he or she is enrolled of his or her intention, provides the title of and the number of credits for the course and indicates whether the course will be taken for high school or postsecondary credit. If the school board determines that the course is not comparable to any offered by the school board and that it satisfies high school graduation requirements, the school board must pay the institution of higher education or technical college a portion of the cost, or in some cases the entire cost, of the pupil's tuition, fees and educational materials.

This bill provides that a pupil may not enroll in an institution of higher education or a technical college to take a course for high school credit under the youth options program described above if the pupil has been suspended or has repeated a grade or if the pupil has the credits necessary to graduate from high school. The bill also provides that if a pupil enrolls in an institute of higher education or a technical college for high school credit under this program and fails to complete the course or receives a grade of failure or unsatisfactory in the course, the pupil, or if the pupil is a minor, the pupil's parents, must reimburse the school board for the cost of the course. If they fail to do so, the school board may file a court action against them for reimbursement.

For further information see the state and local 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:

AB173, s. 1 Section 1. 118.55 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB173,2,12 118.55 (2) (a) Any public school pupil enrolled in the 11th or 12th grade who is not attending a technical college under sub. (7r) or s. 118.15 (1) (b) may enroll in an institution of higher education for the purpose of taking one or more nonsectarian courses at the institution of higher education, subject to par. pars. (am) and (b). The pupil shall submit an application to the institution of higher education in the previous school semester. The pupil shall indicate on the application whether he or she will be taking the course or courses for high school credit or postsecondary credit. The pupil shall also specify on the application that if he or she is admitted the institution of higher education may disclose the pupil's grades, the courses that he or she is taking and his or her attendance record to the public school in which the pupil is enrolled.

AB173, s. 2 Section 2. 118.55 (2) (am) of the statutes is created to read:

AB173,2,16 118.55 (2) (am) A pupil who has repeated a grade or been suspended or who has the credits necessary for graduation from high school may not enroll in a course for high school credit under this subsection.

AB173, s. 3 Section 3. 118.55 (6) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB173,3,2 118.55 (6) (a) A Except as provided under sub. (7x), a pupil taking a course at an institution of higher education for high school credit under this section is not responsible for any portion of the tuition and fees for the course if the school board, or the state superintendent on appeal under sub. (3) (b), has determined that the course is not comparable to a course offered in the school district.

AB173, s. 4 Section 4. 118.55 (7r) (ag) of the statutes is created to read:

AB173,3,6 118.55 (7r) (ag) A pupil who has repeated a grade or been suspended or who has the credits necessary for graduation from high school may not attend a technical college to take a course for high school credit under this subsection.

AB173, s. 5 Section 5. 118.55 (7w) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB173,3,12 118.55 (7w) Responsibility of pupil for tuition and fees; technical college. A Except as provided under sub. (7x), a pupil taking a course at a technical college for high school credit under this section is not responsible for any portion of the tuition and fees for the course if the school board is required to pay the technical college for the course under sub. (7r) (d).

AB173, s. 6 Section 6. 118.55 (7x) of the statutes is created to read:

AB173,3,19 118.55 (7x) Reimbursement of school board costs. (a) If a pupil fails to complete a course whose cost under sub. (5) (a) or (c) or (7r) (d) or (dm) is paid by the school board or receives a grade of failure or unsatisfactory in a course whose cost under sub. (5) (a) or (c) or (7r) (d) or (dm) is paid by the school board, the pupil or, if the pupil is a minor, the pupil's parent or parents, shall reimburse the school board for the amount the school board paid under sub. (5) (a) or (c) or (7r) (d) or (dm).

AB173,3,22 (b) If the school board is not reimbursed under par. (a), the school board may bring an action for reimbursement against the pupil, or, if the pupil is a minor, the pupil's parent or parents.

AB173, s. 7 Section 7. Initial applicability.

AB173,4,2 (1) The act first applies to pupils who submit an application to an institution of higher learning under section 118.55 (2) (a) of the statutes, as affected by this act, or an application to a technical college under section 118.55 (7r) (a) (intro.) of the statutes on the effective date of this subsection.

AB173,4,3 (End)