SB 501

This bill 1) phases out the parental choice programs and the Special Needs

Scholarship Program (SNSP); 2) eliminates the Achievement Gap Reduction (AGR)

program and the Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (former SAGE)

program; and 3) creates a new Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (new

SAGE) program.

Phase out parental choice and SNSP programs

The bill provides that, beginning in the 2024-25 school year, no private school

may participate in a parental choice program unless the school was participating in

the parental choice program in the 2023-24 school year, and no pupil may attend a

private school under a parental choice program unless the pupil was attending that

private school under the parental choice program in the 2023-24 school year.

Finally, the bill provides that, beginning in the 2024-25 school year, no private

school may accept pupils under the SNSP unless the school was participating in the

SNSP in the 2023-24 school year, and no pupil may attend a private school under the

SNSP unless the pupil was attending that private school under the SNSP in the

2023-24 school year.

Eliminate the AGR and former SAGE programs

The bill eliminates the AGR and former SAGE programs after the 2023-24

school year. The AGR program was created in

2015 Wisconsin Act 53

to replace the

former SAGE program. Both programs are categorical aid programs that provide

funding to a participating school for low-income pupils enrolled in certain grades if

the school complies with a five-year contract entered into between the Department

of Public Instruction and the school board of the school district in which the school

is located.

Current law provides that no contract may be entered into or renewed under

the former SAGE program after July 3, 2015, but a school board that had a contract

under the former SAGE program with respect to a school on July 3, 2015, could enter

into a contract with DPI for that school under the AGR program.

Under current law, an AGR contract must require a participating school to do

certain things, including implementing one or more of the following strategies in

grades kindergarten to three:

1. Reduce class sizes to no more than 18 pupils or no more than 30 pupils in a

class having at least two regular classroom teachers.

2. Provide data-driven instructional coaching for classroom teachers.

3. Provide data-informed, one-to-one tutoring to pupils who are struggling

with reading or mathematics.

Currently, AGR contracts may be renewed for one or more terms of five school

years.