SB402: Bill Text

LRB-3737/3

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2003 - 2004 LEGISLATURE

2003 Senate BILL 402

January 21, 2004 - Introduced by Senators Decker, Lassa, Hansen, Chvala, Brown, Breske and Erpenbach, cosponsored by Representatives Vruwink, Plouff and Huber. Referred to Committee on Education, Ethics and Elections.

SB402,1,3 An Act to repeal 121.08 (4) (a) 1. and 121.08 (4) (a) 2. and 3.; to renumber and amend 121.08 (4) (a) (intro.); and to amend 20.255 (2) (fm) and 118.40 (2r) (e) 2. of the statutes; relating to: funding for independent charter schools.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, charter schools established by the city of Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Area Technical College, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and the University of Wisconsin-Parkside (independent charter schools) receive state funds. The cost of the charter school payments is fully offset by a proportionate reduction in the general school aids of all school districts.

This bill eliminates these reductions in aid to all school districts. Under the bill, payments to the independent charter schools are subtracted only from the general school aid of the school districts in which the charter schools are located.

Currently, the state annually pays the school district in which the University of Wisconsin-Parkside has established a charter school (the Racine Unified School District) an amount equal to the amount of school aid per pupil to which the school district is entitled multiplied by the number of pupils attending the charter school who were previously enrolled in the school district. This bill eliminates these payments.

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:

SB402, s. 1 Section 1. 20.255 (2) (fm) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB402,2,3 20.255 (2) (fm) Charter schools. A sum sufficient to make the payments to charter schools and to the unified school district under s. 118.40 (2r) (e).

SB402, s. 2 Section 2. 118.40 (2r) (e) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB402,2,12 118.40 (2r) (e) 2. If the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside establishes or contracts for the establishment of a charter school under this subsection, in March the department shall pay to the unified school district in which the charter school is located, from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (fm), an amount equal to the amount of school aid per pupil to which the unified school district is eligible in the current school year multiplied by the number of pupils attending the charter school who were previously enrolled in the unified school district. No payment may be made under this subdivision after June 30, 2004.

SB402, s. 3 Section 3. 121.08 (4) (a) (intro.) of the statutes, as affected by 2003 Wisconsin Act 33, is renumbered 121.08 (4) (a) and amended to read:

SB402,2,18 121.08 (4) (a) The amount of state aid that a school district is eligible to be paid from the appropriations under s. 20.255 (2) (ac) and (r) shall be reduced by the an amount determined as follows: equal to the sum of the amounts paid under s. 118.40 (2r) (e) in the current school year to charter schools located in the school district.

SB402, s. 4 Section 4. 121.08 (4) (a) 1. of the statutes is repealed.

SB402, s. 5 Section 5. 121.08 (4) (a) 2. and 3. of the statutes, as affected by 2003 Wisconsin Act 33, are repealed.

SB402, s. 6 Section 6. Initial applicability.

SB402,3,3 (1) This act first applies to the distribution of school aid in the 2004-05 school year.

SB402,3,4 (End)