SB486: Bill Text

SB486,6,13 1. Notify the school board of the pupil's school district of residence that the pupil has been awarded a scholarship under this section. The school board shall, within 3 days of receiving the notice, provide the department and the governing body of the eligible school that accepted the pupil with a copy of the pupil's individualized education program.

SB486,6,15 2. Determine the amount of the pupil's scholarship. The amount shall be the lesser of the following:

SB486,6,22 a. Divide the sum of the statewide gross property tax levy for schools in the previous year and the total amount of general school aid appropriated under s. 20.255 (2) (ae), (ar), and (bb) in the previous fiscal year by the total statewide membership, as defined in s. 121.004 (5), in the previous school year, and add to the quotient the result obtained by dividing the amount appropriated under s. 20.255 (2) (b) in the previous fiscal year by the total full-time equivalent number of children with disabilities enrolled in public schools in the previous school year.

SB486,7,2 b. The cost to the school district in which the eligible public school is located, the eligible charter school, or the eligible private school of providing to the pupil regular instruction, instructional and pupil support services, special education and related services, and supplementary aids and services, other than costs under s. 115.88 (3) and (4).

SB486,7,4 3. Prorate the amount determined under subd. 2. for a pupil attending an eligible school for less than a full school term.

SB486,7,6 4. Notify the parent of the scholarship amount, as determined under subd. 2. or 3., accompanied by an explanation of how the amount was determined.

SB486,7,14 5. On behalf of the pupil's parent, pay the scholarship to the school district, charter school, or private school that the pupil attends from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (az), except that the department may not pay a scholarship to a private school unless the pupil's parent has acknowledged receiving the private school's profile under sub. (4) (g) in the manner provided by the department. The scholarship continues while the pupil attends an eligible school until the pupil graduates from high school or until the end of the school term in which the pupil attains the age of 21, whichever comes first.

SB486,7,17 (3) School board duties. (a) Annually, each school board shall notify the parents of each child with a disability enrolled in the school district of the program under this section.

SB486,7,21 (b) Upon the request of a parent of a pupil receiving a scholarship, the pupil's resident school district shall administer the appropriate examinations under s. 118.30 to the pupil at no cost if the school attended by the pupil does not administer them.

SB486,7,23 (4) Private school duties. Each private school participating in the program under this section shall do all of the following:

SB486,7,25 (a) Comply with all health and safety laws or codes that apply to private schools.

SB486,8,4 (b) Hold a valid certificate of occupancy, if required by the municipality in which the school is located or, if the municipality in which the school is located does not issue certificates of occupancy, obtain a certificate of occupancy issued by the local or regional governmental unit with authority to issue certificates of occupancy.

SB486,8,5 (c) Comply with 42 USC 2000d.

SB486,8,9 (d) Conduct criminal background investigations of its employees and exclude from employment any person not permitted to hold a teaching license as the result of an offense and any person who might reasonably be believed to pose a threat to the safety of others.

SB486,8,16 (e) Annually submit to the department a school financial information report, prepared by a certified public accountant, that complies with uniform financial accounting standards established by the department by rule. The report shall be accompanied by an auditor's statement that the report is free of material misstatements and fairly represents pupil costs. The report shall be limited in scope to those records that are necessary for the department to make payments to the private school.

SB486,8,19 (f) If the private school expects to receive at least $50,000 in scholarships under this section during a school year, do one of the following before the beginning of the school year:

SB486,8,22 1. File with the department a surety bond payable to the state in an amount equal to the total amount of scholarships expected to be received by the private school during the school year under this section.

SB486,9,2 2. File with the department financial information demonstrating that the private school has the ability to pay an amount equal to the total amount of scholarships expected to be received by the private school during the school year under this section.

SB486,9,7 (g) Provide to each applicant under sub. (1m) (e) a profile of the private school's special education program, in a form prescribed by the department, that includes the methods of instruction that will be used by the school to provide special education and related services to the child and the qualifications of the teachers and other persons who will be providing special education and related services to the child.

SB486,9,12 (h) 1. Implement the child's most recent individualized education program or services plan, as modified by agreement between the private school and the child's parent, and related services agreed to by the private school and the child's parent that are not included in the child's individualized education program or services plan.

SB486,9,16 2. Provide a record of the implementation of the child's individualized education program or services plan under subd. 1., including an evaluation of the child's progress, to the school board of the school district in which the child resides in the form and manner prescribed by the department.

SB486,9,18 (i) Regularly report to the parent of a pupil attending the private school and receiving a scholarship under this section on the pupil's progress.

SB486,9,21 (5) Transportation. (a) Private school. Section 121.54 applies to the transportation of a pupil to and from the private school he or she is attending under this section.

SB486,9,23 (b) Public school. Section 118.51 (14) applies to the transportation of a pupil to and from the public school he or she is attending under this section.

SB486,9,25 (6) Penalties. (a) The department may bar a school district, charter school, or private school from participating in the program under this section if the department determines that the school district, charter school, or private school has done any of the following:

SB486,10,4 1. Intentionally and substantially misrepresented information required under sub. (4).

SB486,10,5 2. Routinely failed to comply with the standards under sub. (4) (e) or (f).

SB486,10,7 3. Used a pupil's scholarship for any purpose other than educational purposes or rebated, refunded, or shared a pupil's scholarship with a parent or pupil.

SB486,10,9 4. Failed to refund to the state, in a timely manner, any scholarship overpayments.

SB486,10,15 (b) If the department bars a school district, charter school, or private school from participating in the program under this section, it shall notify all pupils eligible to participate in the program and their parents as quickly as possible. A pupil who is receiving a scholarship and attending a school district, charter school, or private school barred from the program may attend another participating school district, charter school, or private school under the scholarship.

SB486,10,18 (7) Study. (a) The legislative audit bureau shall contract for a study of the program under this section with one or more researchers who have experience evaluating school choice programs. The study shall evaluate all of the following:

SB486,10,20 1. The level of satisfaction with the program expressed by participating pupils and their parents.

SB486,10,23 2. The percentage of participating pupils who were victimized because of their special needs at their resident school district and the percentage of such pupils at their participating school.

SB486,11,3 3. The percentage of participating pupils who exhibited behavioral problems at their resident school district and the percentage of such pupils at their participating school.

SB486,11,5 4. The average class size at participating pupils' resident school districts and at their participating schools.

SB486,11,6 5. The fiscal impact of the program on the state and on resident school districts.

SB486,11,8 (b) The contract under par. (a) shall require the researchers who conduct the study to do all of the following:

SB486,11,10 1. Apply appropriate analytical and behavioral science methodologies to ensure public confidence in the study.

SB486,11,11 2. Protect the identity of participating schools and pupils.

SB486,11,14 (c) The contract under par. (a) shall require that the results of the study be reported to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature under s. 13.172 (3) by January 9, 2015.

SB486,11,16 (8) Rules. The department shall promulgate rules to implement and administer this section, including rules relating to all of the following:

SB486,11,18 (a) The eligibility and participation of eligible schools, including timelines that maximize pupil and school participation.

SB486,11,19 (b) The calculation and distribution of scholarships.

SB486,11,20 (c) The application and approval procedures for pupils and eligible schools.

SB486, s. 6 Section 6. 118.60 (4s) of the statutes is created to read:

SB486,11,25 118.60 (4s) Notwithstanding subs. (4), (4m), and (4r), a pupil attending a private school participating in the program under this section who is receiving a scholarship under s. 115.7915 shall not be counted as a pupil attending the private school under this section under sub. (4), (4m), or (4r).

SB486, s. 7 Section 7. 119.23 (4s) of the statutes is created to read:

SB486,12,5 119.23 (4s) Notwithstanding subs. (4), (4m), and (4r), a pupil attending a private school participating in the program under this section who is receiving a scholarship under s. 115.7915 shall not be counted as a pupil attending the private school under this section under sub. (4), (4m), or (4r).

SB486, s. 8 Section 8. 121.05 (1) (a) 4. of the statutes is created to read:

SB486,12,8 121.05 (1) (a) 4. Pupils residing in the school district but attending a public school in another school district, or a private school, under s. 115.7915.

SB486, s. 9 Section 9. 121.08 (4) (am) of the statutes is created to read:

SB486,12,13 121.08 (4) (am) The amount of state aid that a school district is eligible to be paid from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (ac) in any school year shall be reduced by the total amount of scholarships paid by the department under s. 115.7915 in that school year for pupils who reside in the school district.

SB486, s. 10 Section 10. 121.08 (4) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB486,12,21 121.08 (4) (c) The amount of state aid that a school district is eligible to be paid from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (ac) shall also be reduced by an amount equal to the amount paid to the Second Chance Partnership under s. 115.28 (54) for pupils enrolled in the school district. The department shall ensure that the amount of the aid reduction lapses to the general fund and that it does not affect the amount determined to be received by a school district as state aid under this section for any other purpose.

SB486, s. 11 Section 11. 121.08 (4) (d) of the statutes, as affected by 2011 Wisconsin Act 32, is amended to read:

SB486,12,25 121.08 (4) (d) The state superintendent shall ensure that the total amount of aid reduction under pars. (a), (b), and (br) this subsection lapses to the general fund.

SB486, s. 12 Section 12. 121.54 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB486,13,12 121.54 (3) Transportation for children with disabilities. Every Except as provided in s. 115.7915 (5), every school board shall provide transportation for children with disabilities, as defined in s. 115.76 (5), to any public or private elementary or high school, to the school operated by the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired or the school operated by the Wisconsin Educational Services Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing or to any special education program for children with disabilities sponsored by a state tax-supported institution of higher education, including a technical college, regardless of distance, if the request for such transportation is approved by the state superintendent. Approval shall be based on whether or not the child can walk to school with safety and comfort. Section 121.53 shall apply to transportation provided under this subsection.

SB486,13,13 (End)