115.82 History
History: 1997 a. 164;
1999 a. 117.
115.88(1)(1)
Personnel. A school board, board of control of a cooperative educational service agency or, upon authorization of the county board, a county children with disabilities education board may employ, for a special education program, either full-time or part-time licensed teachers, licensed coordinators of special education, school nurses, licensed school social workers, licensed school psychologists, licensed school counselors, paraprofessionals, licensed consulting teachers to work with any teacher of regular education programs who has a child with a disability in a class and any other personnel approved by the department. The board may contract with private or public agencies for physical or occupational therapy services, orientation and mobility training services, educational interpreter services, educational audiology, speech and language therapy, pupil transition services for eligible pupils who are 18 to 21 years old, or any service approved by the state superintendent, on the basis of demonstrated need. A school board may contract with a charter school to provide special education services to pupils attending the charter school if the charter school is under contract with the school board under
s. 118.40 (2m) and the charter school is not an instrumentality of the school district.
115.88(1m)(a)(a) Subject to
par. (b), upon receipt of the plan under
s. 115.77 (4), if the state superintendent is satisfied that the special education program has been maintained during the preceding school year in accordance with law, the state superintendent shall certify to the department of administration in favor of each county, cooperative educational service agency, and school district maintaining such special education program a sum equal to the amount expended by the county, agency, and school district during the preceding year for salaries of personnel enumerated in
sub. (1); the salary portion of any authorized contract for services under
sub. (1); the salary portion of any contract to provide special education services to pupils attending a charter school, as authorized under
sub. (1); and other expenses approved by the state superintendent, as costs eligible for reimbursement from the appropriation under
s. 20.255 (2) (b).
115.88(1m)(am)
(am) Subject to
par. (b), if the operator of a charter school established under
s. 118.40 (2r) operates a special education program and the state superintendent is satisfied that the operator of the charter school is complying with
20 USC 1400 to
1491o, the state superintendent shall certify to the department of administration in favor of the operator of the charter school a sum equal to the amount that the operator of the charter school expended during the previous school year for salaries of full-time or part-time licensed teachers, licensed coordinators of special education, school nurses, licensed school social workers, licensed school psychologists, licensed school counselors, paraprofessionals, licensed consulting teachers to work with any teacher of regular education programs who has a child with a disability in a class and any other personnel, as determined by the state superintendent, as costs eligible for reimbursement from the appropriation under
s. 20.255 (2) (b). The state superintendent may audit costs under this paragraph and adjust reimbursement to cover only actual, eligible costs.
115.88(1m)(b)
(b) The department shall promulgate rules establishing the percentage of the salaries of school nurses, licensed school social workers, licensed school psychologists, and licensed school counselors that may be certified under
pars. (a) and
(am) as costs eligible for reimbursement. For each category of personnel, the department shall base the percentage on the average percentage of work time that the category spends providing services to children with disabilities, including conducting evaluations under
s. 115.782.
115.88 Cross-reference
Cross-reference: See also PI 30, Wis. adm. code.
115.88(2)
(2) Transportation aid. If upon receipt of the plan under
s. 115.77 (4) the state superintendent is satisfied that the transportation of children with disabilities has been maintained during the preceding year in accordance with the law, the state superintendent shall certify to the department of administration in favor of each county, cooperative educational service agency, or school district transporting such pupils an amount equal to the amount expended for such transportation as costs eligible for reimbursement from the appropriation under
s. 20.255 (2) (b). Pupils for whom aid is paid under this subsection shall not be eligible for aid under
s. 121.58 (2) or
(4). This subsection applies to any child with a disability who requires special assistance in transportation, including any such child attending regular classes who requires special or additional transportation. This subsection does not apply to any child with a disability attending regular or special classes who does not require any special or additional transportation.
115.88(2m)
(2m) Other transportation aid. If the operator of a charter school established under
s. 118.40 (2r) or established as a noninstrumentality charter school under
s. 118.40 (2m) transports children with disabilities and the state superintendent is satisfied that the operator of the charter school is complying with
20 USC 1400 to
1491o, the state superintendent shall certify to the department of administration in favor of the operator of the charter school a sum equal to the amount that the operator of the charter school expended during the previous school year for transportation under this subsection as costs eligible for reimbursement from the appropriations under
s. 20.255 (2) (b). The state superintendent may audit costs under this subsection and adjust reimbursement to cover only actual, eligible costs.
115.88(3)
(3) Board and lodging aid. There shall be paid the amount expended for board and lodging and transportation between the boarding home and the special education program of nonresident children enrolled under
s. 115.82 (1) in the special education program. The department shall certify to the department of administration in favor of each school district, cooperative educational service agency, county children with disabilities education board, state agency of another state or private, nonsectarian special education service which operates the special education program while providing board, lodging and transportation an amount equal to the amount expended for such board and lodging and transportation as costs eligible for reimbursement from the appropriation under
s. 20.255 (2) (b).
115.88(4)
(4) Hospitals and convalescent home aid. The full cost of special education for children in hospitals and convalescent homes for orthopedically disabled children shall be paid from the appropriation under
s. 20.255 (2) (b). The supervision of such instruction shall be under the department and the school board of the school district in which the hospital or convalescent home is located. The school board of the district in which the hospital or convalescent home is located shall submit to the department an itemized statement of all revenues and expenditures for the actual cost of such instruction and any other information it requires.
115.88(6)
(6) Aid for instruction outside of district. The department shall certify to the department of administration, in favor of each school district, an amount equal to the amount expended for salaries and travel expenses, as determined in advance by the state superintendent, for providing special education outside the school district of employment, as eligible for reimbursement from the appropriation under
s. 20.255 (2) (b).
115.88(7)
(7) Offsetting receipts. In any school year, the following revenues shall be deducted from costs aidable under this section before aids are calculated under this section:
115.88(7)(a)
(a) Any federal operational revenues expended on costs aidable under this section.
115.88(7)(b)
(b) That portion of state tuition payments attributable to the special annual tuition rate under
s. 121.83 (1) (c), regardless of the school year in which the services were provided. The tuition revenues shall be allocated to the most appropriate part of a program.
115.88(8)
(8) Enrollment out of state. If a child with a disability is enrolled in a public special education program located in another state and the state superintendent is satisfied that the program in which the child is enrolled complies with this subchapter, the state superintendent shall certify to the department of administration in favor of the school district in which the child resides or the school district attended by the child under
s. 118.51 or
121.84 (1) (a) or
(4) a sum equal to the amount expended by the school district during the preceding year for the additional costs associated with the child's special education program as costs eligible for reimbursement from the appropriation under
s. 20.255 (2) (b).
115.88(9)
(9) Distribution schedule. Each county, cooperative educational service agency, operator of a charter school established under
s. 118.40 (2r) and school district entitled to state aid under this section shall receive 15% of its total aid entitlement in each month from November to March and 25% of its total entitlement in June.
115.881
115.881
Additional special education aid. 115.881(1)
(1) A school board, board of control of a cooperative educational service agency, county children with disabilities education board, or operator of a charter school established under
s. 118.40 (2r) may apply to the department for aid under this section if the applicant incurred, in the previous school year, more than $30,000 of nonadministrative costs for providing special education and related services to a child and those costs were not eligible for reimbursement under
s. 115.88,
115.93, or
118.255,
20 USC 1400 et seq., or federal medicaid.
115.881(2)
(2) For each child whose costs exceeded $30,000 under
sub. (1), the department shall, from the appropriation under
s. 20.255 (2) (bd), pay an eligible applicant in the current school year an amount equal to 0.90 multiplied by that portion of the cost under
sub. (1) that exceeded $30,000.
115.881(3)
(3) If the appropriation under
s. 20.255 (2) (bd) is insufficient to pay the full amount of costs under
sub. (2), the department shall prorate payments among eligible applicants.
115.881(4)
(4) A school district receiving aid under
s. 115.883 in any school year is not eligible for aid under this section in that school year.
115.881 History
History: 2005 a. 25;
2007 a. 20.
115.881 Cross-reference
Cross-reference: See also ch.
PI 30, Wis. adm. code.
115.882
115.882
Payment of state aid. Funds appropriated under
s. 20.255 (2) (b) shall be used first for the purpose of
s. 115.88 (4). Costs eligible for reimbursement from the appropriation under
s. 20.255 (2) (b) under
ss. 115.88 (1m) to
(3),
(6) and
(8),
115.93, and
118.255 (4) shall be reimbursed at a rate set to distribute the full amount appropriated for reimbursement for the costs, not to exceed 100%.
115.883
115.883
Supplemental special education aid. 115.883(1)(1) Beginning in the 2008-09 school year, from the appropriation under
s. 20.255 (2) (be), the department shall pay supplemental special education aid to school districts to which all of the following apply:
115.883(1)(a)
(a) In the previous school year, the school district's revenue authority per pupil under
subch. VII of ch. 121 was below the statewide average.
115.883(1)(b)
(b) In the previous school year, the school district's expenditures for special education constituted more than 16 percent of the school district's total expenditures.
115.883(1)(c)
(c) In the previous school year, the school district's membership, as defined in
s. 121.004 (5), was less than 2,000 pupils.
115.883(2)
(2) In the 2008-09 school year, the department shall pay each school district eligible for aid under this section the same amount. In each school year thereafter, the department shall distribute aid under this section to eligible school districts proportionally based upon each school district's expenditures for special education in the previous school year, except that in any school year a school district may receive not less than $50,000, and not more than $150,000 or an amount equal to 50 percent of the school district's expenditures for special education in the previous school year, whichever is less.
115.883(3)
(3) A school district receiving aid under
s. 115.881 in any school year is not eligible for aid under this section in that school year.
115.883 History
History: 2007 a. 20.
115.897
115.897
Exhaustion of remedies. Before the filing of a civil action under any federal law seeking any relief that is also available under this subchapter, the procedures under
s. 115.80 shall be exhausted to the same extent as would be required had the action been brought under this subchapter.
115.897 History
History: 1997 a. 164.
115.898 History
History: 1997 a. 164.
115.90
115.90
Noncompliance; remedies. 115.90(1)
(1) If, as the result of a monitoring procedure or a complaint investigation, the state superintendent finds that a local educational agency has violated this subchapter, the state superintendent may require the local educational agency to submit a corrective plan addressing the violation.
115.90(2)
(2) If the state superintendent, after reasonable notice and an opportunity for a hearing, finds that a local educational agency has failed to comply with any requirement in this subchapter, the state superintendent shall reduce or eliminate special education aid to the local educational agency until he or she is satisfied that the local educational agency is complying with that requirement.
115.90(3)
(3) If the state superintendent finds that a corrective plan under
sub. (1) has not been implemented, or that withholding aid under
sub. (2) has been inadequate to ensure compliance with this subchapter, the state superintendent shall request the attorney general to proceed against the local educational agency for injunctive or other appropriate relief.
115.90 History
History: 1997 a. 164.
EDUCATION FOR SCHOOL AGE PARENTS
115.91
115.91
Definition. In this subchapter, "school age parent" means any person under the age of 21 who is not a high school graduate and is a parent, an expectant parent or a person who has been pregnant within the immediately preceding 120 days.
115.915
115.915
Availability of program services and modifications. Each school board shall make available to any school age parent who is a resident of the school district program modifications and services that will enable the pupil to continue his or her education.
115.915 History
History: 1985 a. 29 s.
1712;
1985 a. 56; Stats. 1985 s. 115.915.
115.92
115.92
Establishment of programs; rules. 115.92(1)
(1) Any school board may establish a program for school age parents who are residents of the school district. The program shall be designed to provide services and instruction to meet the needs of school age parents, including education on the skills required of a parent; family planning, as defined in
s. 253.07 (1) (a), including natural family planning; and instruction on adoption and adoption services. The instruction provided on adoption and adoption services shall include instruction on the options available and the procedures followed in independent and agency adoptions, including current practices regarding a birth parent's involvement in the selection of an adoptive home and the sharing of information between birth parents and adoptive parents, instruction on the impact of adoption on birth parents and children who have been adopted and an explanation that the adoption process may be initiated even after a child has been born and has left the hospital. The program shall be coordinated with existing vocational and job training programs in the school district.
115.92(2)(a)(a) Annually, and at such other times as the department requires, every school board that establishes a program under this subchapter shall submit a written report to the department. The report shall specify the number of school age parents instructed or provided service.
115.92(2)(b)
(b) Annually, on or before September 15, each school board maintaining a program under this subchapter shall submit to the department an itemized statement on oath of all revenues and expenditures related to the program during the preceding school year.
115.92(3)
(3) The state superintendent shall by rule establish criteria for the approval of programs established under this subchapter for the purpose of determining those programs eligible for aid under
s. 115.93.
115.92 Cross-reference
Cross-reference: See also ch.
PI 19, Wis. adm. code.
115.93
115.93
State aid. If upon receipt of the reports under
s. 115.92 (2) the state superintendent is satisfied that the school age parents program has been maintained during the preceding school year in accordance with the rules under
s. 115.92 (3), the state superintendent shall certify to the department of administration in favor of each school district maintaining the program a sum equal to the amount expended by the school district during the preceding school year for salaries of teachers and instructional aides, special transportation and other expenses approved by the state superintendent as costs eligible for reimbursement from the appropriation under
s. 20.255 (2) (b).
BILINGUAL-BICULTURAL EDUCATION
Subch. VII of ch. 115 Cross-reference
Cross-reference: See also ch.
PI 13, Wis. adm. code.
115.95
115.95
Legislative findings and declaration of policy. 115.95(1)(a)
(a) There are pupils in this state who enter elementary and secondary school with limited or nonexistent English speaking ability due to the use of another language in their family or in their daily, nonschool environment.
115.95(1)(b)
(b) Classes conducted in English do not always provide adequate instruction for children whose English language abilities are limited or nonexistent.
115.95(1)(c)
(c) It is beneficial to pupils from bicultural and monocultural backgrounds to participate in bilingual-bicultural programs where such programs are available in order to instill respect for non-English languages and cultures in all pupils.
115.95(2)
(2) It is the policy of this state to provide equal educational opportunities by ensuring that necessary programs are available for limited-English proficient pupils while allowing each school district maximum flexibility in establishing programs suited to its particular needs. To this end, this subchapter establishes bilingual-bicultural education programs for pupils in school districts with specified concentrations of limited-English proficient pupils in the attendance areas of particular schools.
115.95(3)
(3) It is the policy of this state to reimburse school districts, in substantial part, for the added costs of providing the programs established under this subchapter.
115.95(4)
(4) It is the policy of this state that a limited-English proficient pupil participate in a bilingual-bicultural education program only until such time as the pupil is able to perform ordinary classwork in English.
115.95(5)
(5) It is the policy of this state that fundamental courses may be taught in the pupil's non-English language to support the understanding of concepts, while the ultimate objective shall be to provide a proficiency in those courses in the English language in order that the pupil will be able to participate fully in a society whose language is English.
115.95(6)
(6) Furthermore, it is the policy of this state to encourage reform, innovation and improvement in graduate education, in the structure of the academic profession and in the recruitment and retention of higher education and graduate school faculties, as related to bilingual-bicultural education, and to give special recognition to persons who possess a reading ability and speaking fluency in a non-English language and an understanding of another culture.
115.955
115.955
Definitions. In this subchapter:
115.955(2)
(2) "Bilingual-bicultural education program" means a program designed to improve the comprehension and the speaking, reading and writing ability of a limited-English proficient pupil in the English language, so that the pupil will be able to perform ordinary classwork in English.
115.955(3)
(3) "Bilingual counselor" means a certified school counselor approved by the state superintendent under
s. 115.28 (15) (a).
115.955(4)
(4) "Bilingual counselor's aide" means a person who is employed to assist a counselor and who is approved by the state superintendent under
s. 115.28 (15) (a).
115.955(6)
(6) "Bilingual teacher's aide" means a person who is employed to assist a teacher and who is approved by the state superintendent under
s. 115.28 (15) (a).
115.955(7)
(7) "Limited-English proficient pupil" means a pupil whose ability to use the English language is limited because of the use of a non-English language in his or her family or in his or her daily, nonschool surroundings, and who has difficulty, as defined by rule by the state superintendent, in performing ordinary classwork in English as a result of such limited English language proficiency.
115.96
115.96
Establishment of programs. 115.96(1)
(1)
Count of limited-English proficient pupils. Annually, on or before March 1, each school board shall conduct a count of the limited-English proficient pupils in the public schools of the district, assess the language proficiency of such pupils and classify such pupils by language group, grade level, age and English language proficiency.
115.96(2)
(2) Notification. Annually, on or before April 1, a school board which may be required to offer a bilingual-bicultural education program shall send to the parent, legal custodian or guardian of every limited-English proficient pupil identified under
sub. (1) who is eligible for participation in such a program, a notice which states that a bilingual-bicultural education program may be instituted, contains information on the procedures for registering a pupil in such a program, and provides notice of the consent required under
sub. (3). The notice shall be in English and in the non-English language of the limited-English proficient pupil.
115.96(3)
(3) Parental consent. On or before May 1, any parent or legal custodian desiring that their child be placed in a bilingual-bicultural education program shall give written consent to such child's placement.
115.96(4)
(4) Program established. Annually, on or before July 1, the school board shall establish a bilingual-bicultural education program, if required under
s. 115.97. A bilingual-bicultural education program established under this subchapter shall provide all of the following:
115.96(4)(a)
(a) Instruction in reading, writing and speaking the English language.
