SB 974

This bill 1) eliminates the income limits in the statewide parental choice

program (also known as the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program), Milwaukee

Parental Choice Program, and the Racine Parental Choice Program (parental choice

program); 2) eliminates the pupil participation limits in the WPCP; 3) increases the

family income threshold amount that determines whether a private school may

charge additional tuition to a pupil attending the private school under a parental

choice program; and 4) creates a temporary education expense reimbursement

program for public school pupils.

Income limits for parental choice programs

Under current law, a pupil is not eligible to participate in the MPCP or the

RPCP if the pupil's family income is greater than 300 percent of the federal poverty

level. Similarly, under current law, a pupil is not eligible to participate in the WPCP

if the pupil's family income is greater than 220 percent of the federal poverty level.

Beginning in the 2022-23 school year, the bill eliminates the family income

requirements in each of the parental choice programs. In other words, under the bill,

a pupil may participate in a parental choice program regardless of the pupil's family

income.

Pupil participation limits in the WPCP

Current law limits the number of pupils who reside in a school district that may

attend a private school under the WPCP. For the 2021-22 school year, the limit is

set at no more than 6 percent of a school district's membership in the previous school

year. The limit increases by one percent each year until the limit reaches 10 percent,

and then, beginning in the 2026-27 school year, there is no participation limit in the

WPCP. The bill eliminates the pupil participation limits in the WPCP on the date

the bill becomes law.

Current law provides specific WPCP application procedures that apply while

the pupil participation limits are in place. For example, while the limits are in place,

pupil applications may be submitted to private schools participating in the WPCP

only during the period beginning on the first weekday in February and ending on the

third Thursday in April. The bill eliminates the application procedures that apply

while the pupil participation limits are in place.

Additional tuition charged to pupils participating in parental choice

programs

Under current law, a private school participating in a parental choice program

may not charge a pupil participating in a parental choice program tuition, in addition

to the payments the private school receives under the parental choice program,

unless the pupil is enrolled in a grade from 9 to 12 and the pupil's family income

exceeds 220 percent of the federal poverty level. Beginning in the 2022-23 school

year, the bill increases that threshold to 300 percent of the federal poverty level.

Education expense reimbursement program