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AB68,1947
1Section 1947. 115.7915 (2) (cm) of the statutes is created to read:
AB68,1115,52 115.7915 (2) (cm) For an eligible school that begins participating in the
3program under this section in the 2022-23 school year or any school year thereafter,
4the eligible school also participates in a parental choice program under s. 118.60 or
5119.23 for the school year for which the scholarship is awarded.
AB68,1948 6Section 1948. 115.7915 (2) (f) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB68,1115,157 115.7915 (2) (f) The child's parent or guardian on behalf of the child, or, for a
8child with a disability who has reached the age of 18 and has not been adjudicated
9incompetent, the child, submitted an application for a scholarship under this section
10as provided under sub. (3) (am) and on a form prepared by the department that
11includes the document developed by the department under sub. (4) to the eligible
12school that the child will attend. A child's parent or guardian or a child with a
13disability who has reached the age of 18 may apply for a scholarship at any time
14during a school year and, subject to sub. (3) (b), a child may begin attending an
15eligible school under this section at any time during the school year.
AB68,1949 16Section 1949. 115.7915 (2) (g) of the statutes is repealed.
AB68,1950 17Section 1950 . 115.7915 (2) (i) of the statutes is created to read:
AB68,1115,2218 115.7915 (2) (i) 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., beginning on July 1, 2024, all
19of the eligible school's teachers have a teaching license or permit issued by the
20department, except that a teacher employed by the eligible school who teaches only
21courses in rabbinical studies is not required to hold a license or permit to teach issued
22by the department.
AB68,1116,623 2. Any teacher employed by the eligible school on July 1, 2024, who has been
24teaching for at least the 5 consecutive years immediately preceding July 1, 2024, and
25who does not satisfy the requirements under subd. 1. on July 1, 2024, applies to the

1department on a form prepared by the department for a temporary, nonrenewable
2waiver from the requirements under subd. 1. The department shall promulgate
3rules to implement this subdivision, including the form of the application and the
4process by which the waiver application will be reviewed. The application form shall
5require the applicant to submit a plan for satisfying the requirements under subd.
61. No waiver granted under this subdivision is valid after July 1, 2029.
AB68,1951 7Section 1951. 115.7915 (2m) of the statutes is created to read:
AB68,1116,108 115.7915 (2m) Program cap. Beginning with the 2022-23 school year, the total
9number of children who may attend eligible schools under the scholarship program
10under this section during a school year may not exceed the program cap.
AB68,1952 11Section 1952. 115.7915 (3) (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB68,1116,1312 115.7915 (3) (title) Participating schools; selection of pupils application
13process; waiting list
.
AB68,1953 14Section 1953. 115.7915 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB68,1116,2015 115.7915 (3) (a) The governing body of an eligible school that intends to
16participate in the program under this section shall notify the department of its intent
17by the first Monday in March of the previous school year. The governing body of the
18eligible school shall include in the notice under this paragraph the number of spaces
19the eligible school has available for children receiving a scholarship under this
20section.
AB68,1954 21Section 1954. 115.7915 (3) (am) of the statutes is created to read:
AB68,1116,2522 115.7915 (3) (am) The governing body of an eligible school that has submitted
23a notice of intent to participate under par. (a) may accept applications for
24scholarships under sub. (2) (f) for the following school year between the first weekday
25in April and the first Thursday in June.
AB68,1955
1Section 1955. 115.7915 (3) (b) of the statutes is repealed.
AB68,1956 2Section 1956. 115.7915 (3) (bm) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB68,1117,153 115.7915 (3) (bm) Upon receipt of an application for a scholarship under sub.
4(2) (f)
par. (am), the governing body of the eligible school shall determine whether the
5application satisfies the requirements under sub. (2), other than the requirement
6under sub. (2) (d), and shall request verification from the local education agency that
7developed the child's individualized education program or services plan that the
8child has an individualized education program or services plan in place that meets
9the requirement in sub. (2) (d). The governing body of the eligible school shall also
10notify the child's resident school board that, pending verification that the
11requirements of sub. (2) have been satisfied and subject to par. (d), the child will be
12awarded a scholarship under this section. The local education agency shall, within
135 business days of receiving a request under this paragraph, provide the governing
14body of the eligible school with a copy of the child's individualized education program
15or services plan.
AB68,1957 16Section 1957. 115.7915 (3) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB68,1118,217 115.7915 (3) (c) The By the 3rd Thursday in June immediately following the
18application period under par. (am), the
governing body of a private an eligible school
19participating in the program under this section that received applications for
20scholarships under par. (am)
shall notify report to the department when it verifies
21that a child has
the names of children who applied under par. (am) to attend the
22eligible school for whom the governing body has received verification under par. (bm)
23that
an individualized education program or services plan is in effect and accepts the
24child's application to attend the private school under a scholarship awarded under

1this section
the names of those applicants who have siblings who are already
2attending the eligible school
.
AB68,1958 3Section 1958. 115.7915 (3) (d), (e), (f) and (g) of the statutes are created to read:
AB68,1118,154 115.7915 (3) (d) After the end of the application period described under par.
5(am), upon receipt of the information under par. (c), the department shall determine
6the sum of all applicants for scholarships under this section and the number of
7scholarships awarded to children who are continuing to attend private schools under
8scholarships as provided under sub. (4m) (d). In determining the sum, the
9department shall count a child who has applied for more than one scholarship under
10this section only once. If the sum of all applicants and continuing scholarships
11exceeds the program cap, the department shall determine which applications to
12accept on a random basis, subject to the number of available spaces each eligible
13school specified in its notice under par. (a), except that the department shall give
14preference to the following in accepting applications for each eligible school, in the
15order of preference listed:
AB68,1118,1716 1. Children who attended a different eligible school under a scholarship under
17this section during the previous school year.
AB68,1118,1818 2. Siblings of pupils who are already attending the eligible school.
AB68,1118,2219 (e) No later than 60 days after the end of the application period described under
20par. (am), the department shall notify each applicant and each eligible school, in
21writing, whether the applicant has been approved to receive a scholarship to attend
22the eligible school under this section.
AB68,1118,2423 (f) If the sum under par. (d) exceeds the program cap, the department shall
24establish a waiting list in accordance with the preferences required under par. (d).
AB68,1119,7
1(g) The governing body of an eligible school shall notify the department
2whenever the governing body determines that a child awarded a scholarship under
3this section will not attend the eligible school under the scholarship. If, upon
4receiving notice under this paragraph, the department determines that the number
5of children attending eligible schools under scholarships under this section falls
6below the program cap, the department shall fill any available slot with a child
7selected from the waiting list established under par. (f), if such a waiting list exists.
AB68,1959 8Section 1959. 115.7915 (3m) of the statutes is created to read:
AB68,1119,199 115.7915 (3m) Transfers between participating schools. Notwithstanding
10sub. (3) (am), at any time during a school year, the governing body of a participating
11private school may accept an application from a child attending another private
12school under a scholarship to transfer the child's scholarship to the participating
13private school. The governing body may approve the child's request to transfer if the
14private school has an unfilled available space for a child receiving a scholarship
15under this section as specified in the private school's notice under sub. (3) (a). If the
16governing body approves the transfer request, the governing body shall notify the
17department. This subsection does not apply to a child who is reevaluated and
18determined to no longer be a child with a disability by the child's individualized
19education program team.
AB68,1960 20Section 1960. 115.7915 (4c) of the statutes is repealed.
AB68,1961 21Section 1961. 115.7915 (4m) (a) 2. b. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB68,1120,322 115.7915 (4m) (a) 2. b. Beginning in the 2018-19 school year and subject to
23subd. 3.,
ending in the 2020-21 school year, the sum of the scholarship amount under
24this subdivision for the previous school year; the amount of the per pupil revenue
25limit adjustment under s. 121.91 (2m) for the current school year, if positive; and the

1change in the amount of statewide categorical aid per pupil between the previous
2school year and the current school year, as determined under s. 118.40 (2r) (e) 2p.,
3if positive, or the amount under s. 115.7915 (4m) (a) 3., 2019 stats., if applicable.
AB68,1962 4Section 1962 . 115.7915 (4m) (a) 2. c. of the statutes is created to read:
AB68,1120,95 115.7915 (4m) (a) 2. c. Beginning in the 2021-22 school year, the sum of the
6scholarship amount under this subdivision for the previous school year; the amount
7of the per pupil revenue limit adjustment under s. 121.91 (2m) for the current school
8year, if positive; and the change in the per pupil amount under s. 115.437 (2) (a)
9between the previous school year and the current school year, if positive.
AB68,1963 10Section 1963. 115.7915 (4m) (a) 3. of the statutes is repealed.
AB68,1964 11Section 1964. 115.7915 (4m) (cm) of the statutes is repealed.
AB68,1965 12Section 1965 . 115.7915 (4m) (f) 1. a. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB68,1120,1513 115.7915 (4m) (f) 1. a. Determine the sum of the amount paid for each child the
14number of children
residing in the school district for whom a payment is made under
15par. (a) in that school year.
AB68,1966 16Section 1966 . 115.7915 (4m) (f) 1. bm. of the statutes is created to read:
AB68,1120,1817 115.7915 (4m) (f) 1. bm. Multiply the number of pupils under subd. 1. a. by the
18per pupil amount calculated under par. (a) for that school year.
AB68,1967 19Section 1967 . 115.7915 (4m) (f) 1. e. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB68,1120,2120 115.7915 (4m) (f) 1. e. Sum the amounts calculated under subd. 1. a., bm., d.,
21and dh.
AB68,1968 22Section 1968 . 115.7915 (6) (L) of the statutes is created to read:
AB68,1121,223 115.7915 (6) (L) Allow a child attending the private school under this section
24to refrain from participating in any religious activity if the child's parent submits to

1the child's teacher or the private school's principal a written request that the child
2be exempt from such activities.
AB68,1969 3Section 1969. 115.81 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB68,1121,124 115.81 (1) (b) “Responsible local educational agency" means the local
5educational agency that was responsible for providing a free, appropriate public
6education to the child before the placement of the child in a residential care center
7for children and youth except that if the child resided in an institution or facility
8operated by the department of health services, a Type 1 juvenile correctional facility,
9as defined in s. 938.02 (19) (10p), or a Type 1 prison, as defined in s. 301.01 (5), before
10the placement of the child in a residential care center for children and youth,
11“responsible local educational agency" means the school district in which the
12residential care center for children and youth is located.
AB68,1970 13Section 1970. 115.882 of the statutes is renumbered 115.882 (intro.) and
14amended to read:
AB68,1121,20 15115.882 Payment of state aid; reimbursement rate. (intro.) Funds
16appropriated under s. 20.255 (2) (b) shall be used first for the purpose of s. 115.88 (4).

17Costs eligible for reimbursement from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (b) under
18ss. 115.88 (1m) to (3), (6), and (8), 115.93, and 118.255 (4) shall be reimbursed at a
19rate set to distribute the full amount appropriated for reimbursement for the costs,
20not to exceed 100 percent.
the following rates:
AB68,1971 21Section 1971. 115.882 (1) and (2) of the statutes are created to read:
AB68,1121,2222 115.882 (1) In the 2021-22 school year, 45 percent of eligible costs.
AB68,1121,24 23(2) In the 2022-23 school year and in each school year thereafter, 50 percent
24of eligible costs.
AB68,1972 25Section 1972. 115.95 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB68,1122,8
1115.95 (2) It is the policy of this state to provide equal educational
2opportunities by ensuring that necessary programs are available for
3limited-English proficient pupils while allowing each school district and charter
4school under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x)
maximum flexibility in establishing programs
5suited to its particular needs. To this end, this subchapter provides support for
6educating limited-English proficient pupils and
establishes bilingual-bicultural
7education programs for pupils in school districts with specified concentrations of
8limited-English proficient pupils in the attendance areas of particular schools.
AB68,1973 9Section 1973. 115.95 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB68,1122,1410 115.95 (3) It is the policy of this state to reimburse school districts, in
11substantial part, for the added costs of providing the programs established under
12this subchapter and to provide support to school districts and charter schools under
13s. 118.40 (2r) and (2x) for the added costs of educating limited-English proficient
14pupils
.
AB68,1974 15Section 1974. 115.958 of the statutes is created to read:
AB68,1122,20 16115.958 Capacity-building grants for licensed educators. (1) A school
17board or the operator of a charter school established under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) may
18apply to the department for a grant for the school district or charter school to provide
19support and financial assistance to its staff and teachers in obtaining licensure or
20certification as bilingual teachers and teachers of English as a 2nd language.
AB68,1122,24 21(2) Beginning in the 2022-23 school year, from the appropriation under s.
2220.255 (2) (ch), the department may award grants under sub. (1) to school districts
23and charter schools established under s. 118.40 (2r) and (2x) in amounts determined
24by the department.
AB68,1123,2
1(3) The department may promulgate rules to implement and administer this
2section.
AB68,1975 3Section 1975. 115.96 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB68,1123,4 4115.96 (title) Establishment Pupil counts; establishment of programs.
AB68,1976 5Section 1976. 115.96 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB68,1123,136 115.96 (1) Count of limited-English proficient pupils. Annually, on or before
7March 1, each a school board and the operator of a charter school established under
8s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x)
shall conduct a count of the limited-English proficient pupils in
9the public schools of the district or in the charter school, assess the language
10proficiency of such the pupils , and classify such the pupils by language group, grade
11level, age, and English language proficiency. A school board or operator is eligible
12for state aid under s. 115.995 only if the school board or operator conducts the count
13under this subsection.
AB68,1977 14Section 1977. 115.97 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB68,1124,215 115.97 (1) A school board may combine pupils in attendance at separate schools
16in its bilingual-bicultural education program. The school board shall be eligible for
17state aids under s. 115.995 if the number of limited-English proficient pupils served
18from the combined schools meets the requirements under sub. (2), (3) or (4).
A pupil
19shall be eligible for a bilingual-bicultural education program only until he or she is
20able to perform ordinary classwork in English. The bilingual-bicultural education
21program shall be designed to provide intensive instruction to meet this objective.
22Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to authorize isolation of children of
23limited-English proficient ability or ethnic background for a substantial portion of
24the school day. Pupils who are not limited-English proficient pupils may participate
25in a bilingual-bicultural education program, except that a school board shall give

1preference to limited-English proficient pupils in admitting pupils to such a
2program.
AB68,1978 3Section 1978. 115.97 (6) of the statutes is created to read:
AB68,1124,74 115.97 (6) A school board that is required to establish a bilingual-bicultural
5education program under sub. (2), (3), or (4) is eligible for state aid under s. 115.995
6only if the state superintendent is satisfied that the school board maintained the
7bilingual-bicultural education program in accordance with this subchapter.
AB68,1979 8Section 1979. 115.977 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB68,1124,149 115.977 (2) A school district may establish bilingual-bicultural education
10programs by contracting with other school districts or with a cooperative educational
11service agency. If 10 or more pupils in kindergarten to grade 3, 20 or more in grades
124 to 8 or 20 or more in a high school program are enrolled in a program under a
13contract pursuant to this subsection, the school district offering the program is
14eligible for reimbursement under s. 115.995.
AB68,1980 15Section 1980. 115.993 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB68,1124,17 16115.993 (title) Report Reports on bilingual-bicultural education and
17pupil counts
.
AB68,1981 18Section 1981. 115.993 of the statutes is renumbered 115.993 (1) and amended
19to read:
AB68,1125,320 115.993 (1) Annually, on or before August 15, the school board of a district
21operating a bilingual-bicultural education program under this subchapter shall
22report to the state superintendent the number of pupils, including both
23limited-English proficient pupils and other pupils, instructed the previous school
24year in bilingual-bicultural education programs, an itemized statement on oath of
25all disbursements on account of
a summary of the costs incurred to operate the

1bilingual-bicultural education program operated during the previous school year,
2and a copy of the estimated budget for that operating the bilingual-bicultural
3education
program for the current school year.
AB68,1982 4Section 1982. 115.993 (2) of the statutes is created to read:
AB68,1125,95 115.993 (2) Annually, on or before August 15, a school board and the operator
6of a charter school established under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) shall report to the state
7superintendent the number of limited-English proficient pupils enrolled in the
8school district or attending the charter school in the previous school year and the
9classification of those pupils by language group.
AB68,1983 10Section 1983. 115.993 (3) of the statutes is created to read:
AB68,1125,1311 115.993 (3) A school board or the operator of a charter school established under
12s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) is eligible for state aid under s. 115.995 only if the school board
13or operator submits the reports required under this section.
AB68,1984 14Section 1984. 115.995 (intro.) of the statutes is renumbered 115.995 (1m)
15(intro.) and amended to read:
AB68,1125,2116 115.995 (1m) (intro.) Upon Subject to ss. 115.96 (1), 115.97 (6), and 115.993 (3),
17upon
receipt of the report reports under s. 115.993, if the state superintendent is
18satisfied that the bilingual-bicultural education program for the previous school
19year was maintained in accordance with this subchapter
(1) and (2), the state
20superintendent shall do all of, from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (cc), pay the
21following amounts:
AB68,1985 22Section 1985. 115.995 (1) and (2) of the statutes are renumbered 115.995 (1m)
23(a) 1. and 2. and amended to read:
AB68,1126,424 115.995 (1m) (a) 1. From the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (cc), divide
25Dividing proportionally, based upon costs reported under s. 115.993, 2019 stats., an

1annual payment of $250,000 among school districts whose enrollments in the
2previous school year were at least 15 percent limited-English proficient pupils. Aid
3paid under this subsection subdivision does not reduce aid paid under sub. (2) subd.
42
.
AB68,1126,135 2. Certify Certifying to the department of administration in favor of the school
6district board a sum equal to a percentage of the amount expended on
7limited-English proficient pupils by the school district board during the preceding
8year for salaries of personnel participating in and attributable to
9bilingual-bicultural education programs under this subchapter, special books and
10equipment used in the bilingual-bicultural education programs, and other expenses
11approved by the state superintendent. The percentage shall be determined by
12dividing the amount in the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (cc) in the current school
13year less $250,000 by the total amount of aidable costs in the previous school year.
AB68,1986 14Section 1986. 115.995 (1m) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is created to read:
AB68,1126,1715 115.995 (1m) (a) (intro.) In the 2021-22 school year, to a school board that was
16required to establish a bilingual-bicultural education program under s. 115.97 for
17the previous school year, the amounts determined by doing all of the following:
AB68,1987 18Section 1987. 115.995 (1m) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
AB68,1126,2119 115.995 (1m) (b) Subject to sub. (3), beginning in the 2022-23 school year, to
20a school board or the operator of a charter school established under s. 118.40 (2r) or
21(2x), an amount calculated as follows:
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