SB525: Bill Text

SB525,10,11 (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.

SB525,10,14 (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:

SB525,10,17 1. File with the department a surety bond payable to the state in an amount equal to 25 percent of the total amount of scholarships expected to be received by the private school during the school year under this section.

SB525,10,21 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.

SB525,11,2 (g) Provide to each applicant under sub. (1m) (f) 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.

SB525,11,7 (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.

SB525,11,11 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.

SB525,11,13 (i) Regularly report to the parent of a child attending the private school and receiving a scholarship under this section on the child's progress.

SB525,11,16 (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.

SB525,11,18 (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.

SB525,11,22 (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:

SB525,11,24 1. Intentionally and substantially misrepresented information required under sub. (4).

SB525,11,25 2. Routinely failed to comply with the standards under sub. (4) (e) or (f).

SB525,12,2 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.

SB525,12,3 4. Failed to refund to the state, within 60 days, any scholarship overpayments.

SB525,12,9 (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 children 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.

SB525,12,12 (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:

SB525,12,14 1. The level of satisfaction with the program expressed by participating pupils and their parents.

SB525,12,17 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.

SB525,12,20 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.

SB525,12,22 4. The average class size at participating pupils' resident school districts and at their participating schools.

SB525,12,23 5. The fiscal impact of the program on the state and on resident school districts.

SB525,12,25 (b) The contract under par. (a) shall require the researchers who conduct the study to do all of the following:

SB525,13,2 1. Apply appropriate analytical and behavioral science methodologies to ensure public confidence in the study.

SB525,13,3 2. Protect the identity of participating schools and pupils.

SB525,13,6 (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, 2017.

SB525,13,8 (8) Rules. The department shall promulgate rules to implement and administer this section, including rules relating to all of the following:

SB525,13,10 (a) The eligibility and participation of eligible schools, including timelines that maximize pupil and school participation.

SB525,13,11 (b) The calculation and distribution of scholarships.

SB525,13,12 (c) The application and approval procedures for pupils and eligible schools.

SB525,7 Section 7. 118.305 (1) (h) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB525,13,15 118.305 (1) (h) "School" means a public school, including a charter school, and a private school participating in the program under s. 115.7915.

SB525,8 Section 8. 118.40 (2r) (e) 5. of the statutes is created to read:

SB525,13,19 118.40 (2r) (e) 5. A pupil attending a charter school under this subsection who is receiving a scholarship under s. 115.7915 shall not be counted as a pupil attending the charter school under subd. 2n. or 2p.

SB525,9 Section 9. 118.60 (4s) of the statutes is created to read:

SB525,13,24 118.60 (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).

SB525,10 Section 10. 119.23 (4s) of the statutes is created to read:

SB525,14,4 119.23 (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).

SB525,11 Section 11. 121.54 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB525,14,16 121.54 (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.

SB525,12 Section 12. Nonstatutory provisions.

SB525,14,23 (1) Notwithstanding section 115.7915 (1m) (a) of the statutes, as created by this act, if a child or his or her parents on behalf of the child apply to attend an eligible school in the 2014-15 school year under section 115.7915 of the statutes, as created by this act, within 90 days after the effective date of this subsection, the child satisfies the eligibility requirements under section 115.7915 (1m) (a) (intro.) and (e) of the statutes, as created by this act, if all of the following conditions are met:

SB525,15,3 (a) The child applied to attend a public school in one or more nonresident school districts under section 118.51 of the statutes for the 2012-13, 2013-14, or 2014-15 school year.

SB525,15,5 (b) The conditions under section 115.7915 (1m) (a) 1. and 2. of the statutes, as created by this act, are satisfied for any of the school years specified in paragraph (a).

SB525,15,7 (c) The child attended a public school in this state for the entire 2011-12, 2012-13, or 2013-14 school year.

SB525,15,8 (End)