AB261: Bill Text

LRB-2408/1

PG:kmg:rs

2003 - 2004 LEGISLATURE

2003 Assembly BILL 261

April 15, 2003 - Introduced by Representatives Jensen, Ziegelbauer, Vukmir, Grothman, Nischke, Towns, Krawczyk, Nass, LeMahieu, McCormick, Owens, J. Wood and Gielow, cosponsored by Senators Darling, Welch, Kanavas, Roessler and Lazich. Referred to Committee on Education Reform.

AB261,1,3 An Act to amend 118.40 (2r) (c) 1. and 121.54 (2) (c); and to repeal and recreate 118.40 (2r) (c) 2. of the statutes; relating to: charter schools located in a 1st class city school district.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, school boards may enter into contracts with individuals, groups, businesses, or governmental bodies to establish charter schools, which operate with fewer constraints than traditional public schools. Current law also permits the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, the Milwaukee Area Technical College, and the city of Milwaukee to operate charter schools (independent charter schools) directly or to contract for the operation of charter schools. Only pupils who reside in the school district in which an independent charter school is located may attend the charter school.

This bill allows a pupil who resides outside the Milwaukee school district to attend an independent charter school located in the Milwaukee school district. The bill also explicitly authorizes a school board to transport pupils to and from a charter school. If a school board elects to do so, it receives state transportation aid.

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:

AB261, s. 1 Section 1. 118.40 (2r) (c) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB261,2,4 118.40 (2r) (c) 1. Only Except as provided in subd. 2., only pupils who reside in the school district in which a charter school established under this subsection is located may attend the charter school.

AB261, s. 2 Section 2. 118.40 (2r) (c) 2. of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:

AB261,2,8 118.40 (2r) (c) 2. A pupil who resides outside the school district operating under ch. 119 may attend a charter school established under this subsection in the school district operating under ch. 119.

AB261, s. 3 Section 3. 121.54 (2) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB261,2,23 121.54 (2) (c) An annual or special meeting of a common or union high school district, or the school board of a unified school district, or the board of school directors in charge of the school district operating under ch. 119, may elect to provide transportation for pupils who are not required to be transported under this section, including pupils attending public school under s. 118.145 (4). Transportation may be provided for all or some of the pupils who reside in the school district to and from the public school they are entitled to attend; the charter school that they attend; or the private school, within or outside the school district, within whose attendance area they reside. If transportation is provided for less than all such pupils there shall be reasonable uniformity in the minimum distance that pupils attending public, charter, and private schools will be transported. Except for elementary school districts electing to furnish transportation under par. (b) 2., this paragraph does not permit a school district operating only elementary grades to provide transportation for pupils attending private schools.

AB261,2,24 (End)