2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE
January 15, 2021 - Introduced by Senators Wimberger, Stroebel, Bernier and
Wanggaard. Referred to Committee on Human Services, Children and
Families.
SB6,1,4
1An Act relating to: requirements for a school board to close a school building
2to in-person instruction for more than 14 consecutive days during the 2020-21
3and 2021-22 school years and a school board requirement to offer a full-time,
4in-person option to all pupils.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under the bill, during the remainder of the 2020-21 school year and during the
2021-22 school year, a school board may not close a school building to in-person
instruction or to in-person instruction for a specific grade or grades for a period that
exceeds 14 consecutive days. To extend such a closure beyond 14 consecutive days,
the bill requires a two-thirds vote of the members of the school board. Under the bill,
each extension may not exceed 14 consecutive days. The bill specifies that a school
building is considered closed to in-person instruction if the school building is open
to in-person instruction only for pupils receiving special education or related
services.
This bill also requires a school board to offer a full-time, in person option to all
pupils enrolled in the district by no later than 15 days after the date on which the
Department of Health Services indicates that COVID-19 vaccinations may be
allocated to individuals in phase 1c. of the state's vaccination prioritization
guidelines. Under the bill, only upon a unanimous vote of the members of a school
board, may a school board decide not to offer a full-time, in-person option to some
or all pupils enrolled in the school district.
Nothing in this bill applies to a virtual charter school.
For further information see the 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:
SB6,1
1Section
1.
Nonstatutory provisions.
SB6,2,22
(1)
School board requirements; school closure to in-person instruction.
SB6,2,4
3(a
) Beginning on the effective date of this paragraph and ending on June 30,
42022, a school board may not do any of the following:
SB6,2,6
51
. Close a school building to in-person instruction for a period that exceeds 14
6consecutive days.
SB6,2,8
72
. Close a school building to in-person instruction for a grade level for a period
8that exceeds 14 consecutive days.
SB6,2,11
9(b) Notwithstanding par. (a
), a school board may extend an action described in
10par. (a) 1. or 2
. by a two-thirds vote of the members of the school board. Each
11extension under this paragraph may be for no more than 14 consecutive days.
SB6,2,14
12(c) For purposes of par. (a
), a school building is considered to be closed to
13in-person instruction if a school building is open for in-person instruction to only
14pupils receiving special education or related services.
SB6,2,1615
(2)
School board requirement to offer a full-time, in-person option to
16pupils; 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years.
SB6,2,1717
(a) In this subsection:
SB6,2,19
181. “COVID-19 vaccine” means a vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus,
19which causes COVID-19.
SB6,3,2
202. “Full-time, in-person option” means an option under which a pupil receives
21all of his or her instruction from a school board employee who is physically present
1in the same school building as the pupil and the regular schedule for the option is
2five-days per week.
SB6,3,73
(b) Subject to par. (c), beginning on the 15th day after the date on which the
4department of health services indicates that COVID-19 vaccines may be allocated
5to individuals in phase 1c. of the state's vaccination prioritization guidelines, a school
6board shall offer a full-time, in-person option to all pupils enrolled in the school
7district.
SB6,3,108
(c) By unanimous vote of the members of a school board, a school board may opt
9not to offer a full-time, in-person option to some or all of the pupils enrolled in the
10school district.
SB6,3,1211
(3)
Virtual charter school; exception. Nothing in this section applies to a
12virtual charter school, as defined in s. 115.001 (16).
