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January 8, 2020 - Introduced by Senators Erpenbach, Larson, Wirch, Smith,
Risser, Bewley and Ringhand, cosponsored by Representatives Pope,
Considine, Emerson, Kolste, Sargent, Spreitzer, Billings, Milroy, Stubbs,
Subeck, Neubauer, Gruszynski, Vruwink, Ohnstad, Sinicki, L. Myers and
Brostoff. Referred to Committee on Education.
SB659,1,5 1An Act to repeal 118.60 (4) (bg) 1., 2. and 5.; to renumber and amend 118.60
2(4) (bg) 3. and 118.60 (4) (c); to amend 118.60 (4) (bg) 4. (intro.), a. and b.; and
3to create 118.60 (4) (bg) 1m., 118.60 (4) (bg) 3. b. and 118.60 (4) (c) 2. of the
4statutes; relating to: per pupil payments to private schools participating in
5parental choice programs.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill changes the calculation of the per pupil amount the Department of
Public Instruction pays to participating private schools in the Racine Parental
Choice Program and the statewide parental choice program, known as the Wisconsin
Parental Choice Program (collectively, parental choice programs).
Under the bill, for each pupil attending a private school under a parental choice
program, DPI must pay the private school participating in the parental choice
program the lesser of a) the per pupil amount under current law; b) the amount the
private school charges a pupil who is not attending the private school under a
parental choice program for tuition and educational fees; or c) the per pupil amount
of state aid for the pupil's resident school district, as calculated on October 15 of that
school year.
Under current law, for each pupil attending a private school under a parental
choice program, DPI pays the participating private school an amount set by law,
which includes an annual adjustment based on any increase in the statewide
categorical aid per pupil amount and any per pupil increase in the school district

revenue limit calculation. In the 2019-20 school year, the per pupil payment amount
for a pupil in grades kindergarten to eight is $8,046 and the per pupil payment
amount for a pupil in grades nine to twelve is $8,692. Current law provides an
alternative calculation for a pupil attending a private school participating in a
parental choice program that enrolls pupils in grades kindergarten to eight and
grades nine to twelve.
Under current law and the bill, the amount DPI pays to a private school
participating in a parental choice program for a pupil who began participating in a
parental choice program in the 2015-16 school year or thereafter is deducted from
the amount of state aid paid to the pupil's resident school district.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB659,1 1Section 1. 118.60 (4) (bg) 1., 2. and 5. of the statutes are repealed.
SB659,2 2Section 2 . 118.60 (4) (bg) 1m. of the statutes is created to read:
SB659,2,63 118.60 (4) (bg) 1m. In this paragraph, “per pupil amount of state aid” means
4the state aid calculated for a school district, as described under s. 121.90 (2) (am) 1.,
5divided by the membership, as defined in s. 121.004 (5), that the department used
6to calculate the state aid.
SB659,3 7Section 3. 118.60 (4) (bg) 3. of the statutes is renumbered 118.60 (4) (bg) 3.
8(intro.) and amended to read:
SB659,3,29 118.60 (4) (bg) 3. (intro.) In the 2015-16 2020-21 school year and in each school
10year thereafter, upon receipt from the pupil's parent or guardian of proof of the pupil's
11enrollment in the private school during a school term, except as provided in subd. 5.
124., the state superintendent shall pay to the private school in which the pupil is
13enrolled on behalf of the pupil's parent or guardian, from the appropriation under s.
1420.255 (2) (fr), the lesser of the per pupil amount of state aid calculated for the pupil's
15resident school district, the amount the private school charges a pupil in the pupil's

1grade who is not participating in the program under this section for tuition and fees,
2or
an amount equal to one of the following:
SB659,3,10 3a. For a pupil enrolled in grades kindergarten to 8, an amount equal to the sum
4of the maximum amount per pupil the state superintendent paid a private school
5under this section in the previous school year for the grade in which the pupil is
6enrolled
a pupil enrolled in grades kindergarten to 8; the amount of the per pupil
7revenue adjustment under s. 121.91 (2m) for the current school year, if positive; and
8the change in the amount of statewide categorical aid per pupil between the previous
9school year and the current school year, as determined under s. 118.40 (2r) (e) 2p.,
10if positive.
SB659,4 11Section 4. 118.60 (4) (bg) 3. b. of the statutes is created to read:
SB659,3,1812 118.60 (4) (bg) 3. b. For a pupil enrolled in grades 9 to 12, an amount equal to
13the sum of the maximum amount per pupil the state superintendent paid a private
14school under this section in the previous school year for a pupil enrolled in grades 9
15to 12; the amount of the per pupil revenue adjustment under s. 121.91 (2m) for the
16current school year, if positive; and the change in the amount of statewide categorical
17aid per pupil between the previous school year and the current school year, as
18determined under s. 118.40 (2r) (e) 2p., if positive.
SB659,5 19Section 5. 118.60 (4) (bg) 4. (intro.), a. and b. of the statutes are amended to
20read:
SB659,4,621 118.60 (4) (bg) 4. (intro.) If the pupil described in subd. 2. 3. is enrolled in a
22private school that enrolls pupils under the program in any grade between
23kindergarten to 8 and also in any grade between 9 to 12, the state superintendent
24shall pay to the private school in which the pupil is enrolled on behalf of the pupil's
25parent or guardian, from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (fr), the lesser of an

1amount equal to the private school's operating and debt service cost per pupil that
2is related to educational programming, as determined by the department,
the per
3pupil amount of state aid calculated for the pupil's resident school district, the
4amount the private school charges a pupil in the pupil's grade who is not
5participating in the program under this section for tuition and fees,
or an amount
6determined as follows:
SB659,4,97 a. Multiply the number of pupils participating in the program under this
8section who are enrolled in the private school in any grade between kindergarten to
98 by $7,210 the amount calculated under subd. 3. a.
SB659,4,1210 b. Multiply the number of pupils participating in the program under this
11section who are enrolled in the private school in any grade between 9 to 12 by $7,856
12the amount calculated under subd. 3. b.
SB659,6 13Section 6 . 118.60 (4) (c) of the statutes is renumbered 118.60 (4) (c) 1. and
14amended to read:
SB659,4,2015 118.60 (4) (c) 1. The Except as provided in subd. 2., the state superintendent
16shall pay 25 percent of the total amount under this subsection in September, 25
17percent in November, 25 percent in February, and 25 percent in May. For purposes
18of making the September payment under this subdivision, the state superintendent
19shall assume that the per pupil amounts for pupils attending a private school under
20this section are the amounts calculated under par. (bg) 3. a. and b. or 4. a. to d.
SB659,4,24 213. Each installment may consist of a single check for all pupils attending the
22private school under this section. The state superintendent shall include the entire
23amount under sub. (4m) in the November installment, but the payment shall be
24made in a separate check from the payment under this subsection.
SB659,7 25Section 7 . 118.60 (4) (c) 2. of the statutes is created to read:
SB659,5,4
1118.60 (4) (c) 2. If a private school is entitled to a per pupil payment that is less
2than the per pupil amount calculated under par. (bg) 3. a. and b. or 4. a. to d.,
3whichever is applicable, the state superintendent shall calculate the November,
4February, and May payments as follows:
SB659,5,65 a. Determine the total amount the private school is entitled to receive under
6par. (bg) 3. or 4.
SB659,5,87 b. Subtract the amount paid to the private school in September under subd. 1.
8from the amount determined under subd. 2. a.
SB659,5,99 c. Divide the difference under subd. 2. b. by 3.
SB659,5,1010 (End)
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