AB 772

City of Milwaukee Office of School Standards and Licensure

This bill establishes an Office of School Standards and Licensure (office) in the

city of Milwaukee (city) headed by a person appointed by the mayor to serve at his

or her pleasure. Under the bill, no school may be operated in the city unless an

operating license has been issued for the school by the office. The bill defines "school"

as a public school operated by the Board of School Directors of Milwaukee Public

Schools (board or MPS), a charter school operating in the city, and a private school

participating in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP).

Under the bill, the board, the governing body of each private school

participating in the MPCP, and the operator of each charter school located in the city

must apply to the office for an operating license. The bill establishes two classes of

operating licenses that must be obtained from the office in the following order:

1. A provisional operating license. A provisional operating license may not be

renewed.

2. A permanent operating license. A permanent license may be renewed.

Each operating license issued by the office, including a renewal of a permanent

operating license, expires on the third July 1 following the date on which the license

was issued.

Provisional operating licenses:

To obtain a provisional operating license, the applicant must submit a timely

application and application fee to the office and demonstrate that it satisfies all of

the following:

1. It has established a budget development and approval process and a system

of fiscal management that meets standards established by the office.

2. It will operate the school in a building that meets the safety standards

established by the office by rule.

3. It has developed a curriculum that meets standards of educational success

established by the office by rule.

4. It has employees that meet standards of excellence established by the office

by rule.

Permanent operating licenses:

To obtain a permanent operating license, the applicant must submit a timely

application and application fee to the office and demonstrate that it satisfies all of

the following:

1. It holds a valid provisional operating license and continues to satisfy all of

the requirements for the provisional operating license.

2. At least 90 percent of the pupils who have attended the school for more than

one school year have advanced at least one grade level for every year of enrollment.

3. It has implemented a policy governing the admission to the school of children

with disabilities.