Under current law, a school district is eligible for sparsity aid if the number of pupils per square mile in the school district is less than 10 and the school district’s membership in the previous school year did not exceed 1,000 pupils. The amount of aid is $400 per pupil if the school district’s membership in the previous school year did not exceed 745 pupils and $100 per pupil if the if the school district’s membership in the previous school year was between 745 and 1,000 pupils. Current law also provides a reduced payment, known as a stop-gap payment, to a school district that was eligible to receive sparsity aid in the previous school year but is not eligible to receive sparsity aid in the current school year because it no longer satisfies the pupils-per-square-mile requirement. The amount of the stop-gap payment is 50 percent of the amount of sparsity aid the school district received in the previous school year.
Under the bill, beginning in the 2023-24 school year, a school district is eligible for a sparsity aid stop-gap payment if the school district is ineligible for sparsity aid in the current school year because it no longer satisfies the pupils-per-square-mile requirement or the membership requirement.
School mental health and pupil wellness; categorical aid
The bill changes the types of expenditures that are eligible for reimbursement under the state categorical aid program related to pupil mental health.
Under current law, DPI must make payments to school districts, independent charter schools, and private schools participating in parental choice programs (local education agency) that increased the amount they spent to employ, hire, or retain social workers. Under current law, DPI first pays each eligible local education agency 50 percent of the amount by which the eligible local education agency increased its expenditures for social workers in the preceding school year over the amount it expended in the school year immediately preceding the preceding school year. If, after making those payments, there is money remaining in the appropriation account for that aid program, DPI makes additional payments to eligible local education agencies. The amount of those additional payments is determined based on the amount remaining in the appropriation account and the amount spent by eligible local education agencies to employ, hire, and retain social workers during the previous school year.
The bill expands eligibility for the payments under the aid program to include spending on school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, and school nurses (pupil services professionals). The bill also eliminates the two-tier reimbursement structure of the aid program and eliminates the requirement that a local education agency is eligible for the aid only if the local education agency increased its spending. Under the bill, any local education agency that made expenditures to employ, hire, or retain pupil services professionals during the previous school year is eligible for reimbursement under the aid program.
Aid for comprehensive school mental health services
Under current law, DPI administers a $10,000,000 annual competitive grant program to school districts and independent charter schools for the purpose of collaborating with community mental health agencies to provide mental health services to pupils. The bill eliminates this grant program and replaces it with new categorical aid for comprehensive school mental health services to school districts and independent charter schools.
Under the bill, beginning in the 2023-24 school year, DPI must annually reimburse a school board or the operator of an independent charter school for costs incurred for mental health services during in-school or out-of-school time, up to $100,000 plus $100 per pupil who was enrolled in the school district or independent charter school in the prior year. If the amount appropriated for this purpose is insufficient, DPI must prorate the reimbursements.
Supplemental nutrition aid
The bill creates supplemental nutrition aid, a categorical aid to reimburse educational agencies for school meals provided to pupils who satisfy the income criteria for a reduced-price lunch under the federal school lunch program and pupils who do not satisfy the income criteria for a free or reduced-price lunch under the federal school lunch program. An educational agency is eligible for supplemental nutrition aid if the educational agency does not charge pupils for school meals for which the educational agency receives reimbursement from the federal government. Under the bill, the amount of aid is equal to the sum of 1) the number of school meals provided in the previous school year to pupils who satisfy the income criteria for a reduced-price lunch multiplied by the difference between the free-meal reimbursement amount and the reduced-price-meal reimbursement amount and 2) the number of school meals provided in the previous year to pupils who do not satisfy the income criteria for a free or reduced-price lunch multiplied by the difference between the free-meal reimbursement amount and the reimbursement amount for a paid school meal. Supplemental nutrition aid is first paid to educational agencies in the 2024-25 school year for school meals provided during the 2023-24 school year. Under the bill, supplemental nutrition aid is funded by a sum sufficient appropriation, which ensures that educational agencies receive the full amount of aid to which they are entitled.
The bill defines a “school meal” as a school lunch or snack under the federal school lunch program and a breakfast under the federal school breakfast program and an “educational agency” as a school board, an operator of an independent charter school, the director of the Wisconsin Educational Services Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the director of the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, an operator of a residential care center for children and youth, a tribal school, or a private school.
School breakfast program
The bill expands eligibility for reimbursement under the school breakfast program to include operators of independent charter schools, the director of the Wisconsin Educational Services Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the director of the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and operators of residential care centers for children and youth. The bill also prohibits DPI from making a reimbursement for a breakfast served at a school in the previous school year if that school ceased operations during the prior school year. This prohibition does not apply to reimbursements to a school district.
Locally sourced food incentive payments
The bill requires DPI to reimburse a school food authority 10 cents for each school meal it provided in the previous school year that contained locally sourced food. Under the bill, a “school food authority” is an educational entity that participates in the federal school lunch program and a “school meal” is a lunch or snack provided under the federal school lunch program or a breakfast provided under the federal school breakfast program. Finally, the bill defines “locally sourced food” as food that is raised, produced, aggregated, sorted, processed, and distributed within this state.
Driver education; state aid
The bill creates a new aid program for driver schools and for school boards, independent charter schools, and CESAs that offer a driver education program to pupils who meet the income eligibility standard for a free or reduced-price lunch in the federal school lunch program. To be eligible for this aid, a driver school, school board, independent charter school, or CESA must demonstrate to DPI that it waived its program participation fees for eligible pupils. Under the bill, DPI pays the driver school, school board, operator of the independent charter school, or CESA an amount equal to its program participation fee multiplied by the number of eligible pupils who completed the driver education program in the previous school year.
Computer science course requirement and grants
The bill requires school boards, independent charter schools, and private schools participating in a parental choice program to make available to pupils in grades 9 to 12 at least one computer science course, which must include concepts in computer programming or coding.
The bill also requires DPI to annually award grants to school districts for the purpose of expanding computer science educational opportunities in all grade levels in the school district.
Financial literacy curriculum grants
The bill requires DPI to awards grants to school boards and independent charter schools for the purpose of developing, implementing, or improving financial literacy curricula. The bill further requires DPI to prioritize grants that support innovative financial literacy curricula. Current law requires school boards to adopt academic standards for financial literacy and incorporate financial literacy instruction into the curriculum in grades kindergarten to 12.
Primary and secondary education: choice, charter, and open enrollment
Parental choice program caps
The bill caps the total number of pupils who may participate in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, the Racine Parental Choice Program, or the statewide parental choice program (parental choice program) at the number of pupils who attended a private school under the parental choice program in the 2023-24 school year. Under the bill, beginning in the 2024-25 school year, if the number of applications to participate in a parental choice program exceeds the program cap, DPI must determine which applications to accept on a random basis, subject to certain admission preferences that exist under current law.
Under current law, pupils may submit applications to attend a private school under the statewide parental choice program for the following school year from the first weekday in February to the third Thursday in April, and a private school that receives applications must, no later than the first weekday in May immediately following the application period, report the number of applicants to DPI so that DPI may determine whether a pupil participation limitation has been exceeded. The bill provides that, beginning with applications for the 2024-25 school year, DPI must establish one or more application periods during which pupils may submit applications to attend a private school under the MPCP or RPCP. The bill provides that a private school that receives applications during an application period must, no later than 10 days after the application period ends, report the number of applicants to DPI so that DPI may determine whether a program cap has been exceeded. The bill does not change the application period for the statewide parental choice program and requires DPI to use the information required to be reported under current law to determine whether the program cap for the statewide parental choice program has been exceeded.
The bill also requires DPI to establish a waiting list for a parental choice program if the program cap for the parental choice program has been exceeded.
Special Needs Scholarship Program cap
Under current law, a child with a disability who meets certain eligibility criteria may receive a scholarship to attend a private school participating in the Special Needs Scholarship Program (SNSP). The bill caps the total number of children who may receive an SNSP scholarship at the number of children who received an SNSP scholarship in the 2023-24 school year. Under the bill, beginning in the 2024-25 school year, if the number of applications for SNSP scholarships exceeds the program cap, DPI must determine which applications to accept on a random basis, subject to certain admission preferences set forth in the bill.
Under current law, a child may apply for an SNSP scholarship at any time during a school year and may begin attending the school at any time during the school year. The bill provides that, beginning with applications for the 2024-25 school year, children may submit applications for SNSP scholarships for the school year from the first weekday in April to the third Thursday in June of the prior school year, and a private school that receives applications for SNSP scholarships must, no later than the first weekday in May immediately following the application period, report the number of applicants to DPI so that DPI may determine whether the program cap has been exceeded.
The bill also requires DPI to establish a waiting list if the program cap for the SNSP has been exceeded.
Per pupil payment and transfer amount based on actual costs; SNSP and full-time open enrollment program
Under current law, the per pupil payment amount for a child participating in the SNSP and the transfer amount for a child with a disability in the full-time open enrollment program (OEP) is one of the following:
1. A per pupil amount set by law. The SNSP per pupil payment amount and transfer amount for a child with a disability in the OEP for the 2022-23 school year is $13,076.
2. An alternative amount based on the actual costs to educate the pupil in the previous school year, as reported by the private school or nonresident school district, whichever is applicable. For example, under this option, the amount paid to a private school in the SNSP or nonresident school district in the 2022-23 school year is based on the actual costs to educate the pupil in the 2021-22 school year, as reported by the private school or nonresident school district.
The bill repeals the alternative SNSP per pupil payment amount and OEP transfer amount based on the actual costs to educate the pupil and the processes for setting these alternative amounts. Under the bill, the SNSP per pupil payment amount and the OEP transfer amount for children with disabilities is the same for all pupils and is set by law. In the 2022-23 school year, the amount set by law is $13,076.
Payment indexing: parental choice programs, the SNSP, independent charter schools, full-time open enrollment program, and whole grade sharing agreements
Under current law, the per pupil payment amounts under parental choice programs and the SNSP, the per pupil payment amount to independent charter schools, the transfer amounts under the full-time OEP, and the required transfer amount for a child with a disability in a whole grade sharing agreement (collectively, per pupil payments) are adjusted annually. The annual adjustment for per pupil payments is an amount equal to the sum of any per member revenue limit increase that applies to school districts in that school year and any per member increase in categorical aids between the current school year and the previous school year. Under the bill, beginning in the 2023-24 school year, the annual adjustment for per pupil payments is the sum of the per member revenue limit increase that applies to school districts in that school year, if any, and the increase in the per member amount of per pupil aid paid to school districts between the previous school year and the current school year, if any.
Teacher licensure in parental choice programs and in the SNSP
With certain exceptions, the bill requires that, beginning on July 1, 2026, teachers at private schools participating in a parental choice program or in the SNSP must hold a license or permit issued by DPI. Under current law, teachers at choice schools must have at least a bachelor’s degree from a nationally or regionally accredited institution of higher education, but they are not required to be licensed by DPI. There are no current law requirements regarding who may teach at SNSP schools.
The bill provides an exception for a teacher who teaches only courses in rabbinical studies. In addition, the bill provides a grace period for a teacher who has been teaching for at least the five consecutive years immediately preceding July 1, 2026, which allows the teacher to apply for a temporary, nonrenewable waiver of the licensure requirement. An applicant for a waiver must submit a plan for becoming licensed as required under the bill.
SNSP; accreditation or participation in another choice program
The bill provides that, with certain exceptions explained below, a private school may participate in the SNSP only if 1) the private school is accredited by August 1 of the school year in which the private school participates or 2) the private school participates in a parental choice program. Under current law, a private school may participate in the SNSP if the private school is accredited or if the private school’s educational program meets certain criteria.
The bill provides that, if a private school is participating in the SNSP in the 2023-24 school year and is not accredited by August 1, 2023, the private school must 1) obtain preaccreditation by August 1, 2024; 2) apply for accreditation by December 31, 2024; and 3) obtain accreditation by December 31, 2027.
SNSP; religious opt out
The bill provides that a private school participating in the SNSP must allow a child attending the private school under the SNSP to refrain from participating in any religious activity if the child’s parent submits to the child’s teacher or the private school’s principal a written request that the child be exempt from such activities.
Primary and secondary education: administrative and other funding
Early literacy and reading improvement
The bill requires DPI to establish a literacy coaching program to improve literacy outcomes statewide. The literacy coaching program must include two types of literacy coaches. The first type of literacy coach supports the implementation of evidence-based literacy instructional practices in grades kindergarten to 12 in school districts and independent charter schools (literacy instructional practices coach). Specifically, a literacy instructional practices coach collaborates with a participating school district or independent charter school to establish goals for literacy outcomes for specific grade levels and literacy areas and provide ongoing support to meet the identified goals. The second type of literacy coach focuses on early literacy instructional transitions by providing in-person trainings for four-year-old kindergarten to first grade teachers (early literacy transition coach). The purpose of these trainings is to evaluate existing early literacy curricula and goals and to assist school districts and independent charter schools to create local, standards-aligned, and developmentally appropriate curricula and instruction for four-year-old kindergarten to first grade pupils.
The bill requires each urban school district, which is defined as a school district in which at least 16,000 pupils were enrolled in the previous school year, to participate in both types of coaching provided under the literacy coaching program. Other school districts and independent charter schools may choose to participate in one or both types of coaching provided under the literacy coaching program. Under the bill, DPI must make a payment to a school district or independent charter school that participates in the literacy coaching program. For coaching provided by a literacy instructional practices coach, the bill requires a payment of $7,000, and for participating in training provided by an early literacy transition coach, the bill requires a payment of $6,000.
The bill requires DPI to contract with a certain number of individuals to serve as literacy coaches and to assign those individuals to geographic regions of this state. Specifically, the bill requires DPI to assign one literacy instructional practices coach and one early literacy transition coach to each urban school district and one literacy instructional practices coach and one early literacy transition coach for each 40,000 pupils enrolled in school districts and independent charter schools located in a CESA region. Based on this formula, DPI estimates that it will be required to contract for 28 literacy instructional practices coaches and 28 early literacy transition coaches.
Grow Your Own programs
The bill creates a new grant program that is administered by DPI and available to school districts and operators of independent charter schools to reimburse the cost of Grow Your Own programs. Under the bill, Grow Your Own programs include high school clubs that encourage careers in teaching, payment of costs associated with current staff acquiring education needed for licensure, support for career pathways using dual enrollment, support for partnerships focused on attracting or developing new teachers, or incentives for paraprofessionals to gain licensure. The bill appropriates funding for this purpose in fiscal year 2024-25.
Stipends for student teachers and cooperating teachers
The bill provides stipends, through DPI, to student teachers who are completing a teacher preparatory program approved by the superintendent of public instruction and to teachers who oversee a student teacher in their classrooms. The stipends are $2,500 per student teacher per semester and $1,000 per cooperating teacher per semester. Under the bill, DPI begins paying these stipends in the 2024-25 school year.
Teacher improvement program stipends
Under current law, DPI operates a teacher improvement program to provide prospective teachers with one-semester internships under the supervision of licensed teachers, in-service activities, and professional staff development research projects.
Under the bill, DPI provides stipends to individuals who are participating in the teacher improvement program. The stipends are $9,600 per individual per semester, and begin in the 2024-25 school year.
Bullying prevention grants
Under current law, the state superintendent of public instruction must award grants to nonprofit organizations to provide training and an online bullying prevention curriculum for pupils in grades kindergarten to eight. The bill expands the purpose of these grants to provide training and an online bullying prevention curriculum for pupils in grades kindergarten to 12.
Peer-to-peer suicide prevention grants
Under current law, DPI administers a competitive grant program to award grants to public, private, and tribal high schools for the purpose of supporting peer-to-peer suicide prevention programs. Under current law, the maximum annual peer-to-peer suicide prevention grant amount is $1,000. The bill increases the maximum annual peer-to-peer suicide prevention grant amount to $6,000.
Mental health training programs
Under current law, DPI must establish a mental health training program under which it provides training to school district and independent charter school staff on three specific evidence-based strategies related to addressing mental health issues in schools. The three specific evidence-based strategies are 1) The Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment program, 2) Trauma Sensitive Schools, and 3) Youth Mental Health First Aid.
The bill expands the mental health training program to include training on any evidence-based strategy related to addressing mental health issues and suicide prevention in schools and converts the list of evidence-based strategies under current law to a nonexclusive list of strategies. Additionally, the bill requires that DPI provide the training to out-of-school-time program employees.
Out-of-school-time program grants
The bill creates a grant program under which DPI must award grants to school boards and organizations to support high-quality after-school programs and other out-of-school-time programs that provide services to school-age children.
Seal of biliteracy
The bill requires DPI to annually award grants to school boards and independent charter schools to reimburse them for the costs of the assessments necessary for pupils to earn a state seal of biliteracy and costs to train instructional staff to conduct these assessments. The bill also provides express authority for DPI to establish a state seal of biliteracy for high school pupils who demonstrate through various assessments advanced achievement in bilingualism, biliteracy, and sociocultural competence. Currently, 14 school districts participate in a state seal of biliteracy program administered by DPI.
Grants to replace race-based nicknames, logos, mascots, or team names associated with American Indians
The bill authorizes DPI to award a grant to a school board that terminates the use of a race-based nickname, logo, mascot, or team name that is associated with a federally recognized American Indian tribe or American Indians in general. Under the bill, a school board is eligible for a grant whether or not the school board decides to terminate the use of a race-based nickname, logo, mascot, or team name voluntarily, in response to an objection to its use, or in compliance with an order issued by the Division of Hearings and Appeals. The bill specifies that the amount of the grant may not exceed the greater of $50,000 or the actual cost incurred by the school board to replace the race-based nickname, logo, mascot, or team name. Under the bill, these grants are funded from Indian gaming receipts.
Grants for milk coolers and dispensers
The bill creates a grant program for purchasing milk coolers and milk dispensers that cost less than $5,000 per unit. Under the bill, DPI must award a grant for this purpose to educational entities that participate in the National School Lunch program, including school districts, independent charter schools, private schools, the Wisconsin Educational Services Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
Milwaukee mathematics partnership grant
Under the bill, beginning in the 2024-25 school year, DPI must award a grant to the school board of a first class city school district (currently, only Milwaukee Public Schools) to develop and implement a plan to improve mathematics instruction in the school district if the school board provides matching funds equal to at least 20 percent of the grant. The bill requires the school board to work with UW-Milwaukee to develop and implement the plan.
GED test fee payments
The bill requires DPI to pay the $30 testing service fee for an eligible individual who takes a content area test given under the general educational development test (commonly called the GED test). The GED test consists of four separate content area tests that cover mathematical reasoning, reasoning through language arts, social studies, and science. Under the bill, DPI must pay for an eligible individual to take all four content area tests once in each calendar year.
In order to be eligible for the payment, an individual must satisfy DPI’s requirements to receive a Certificate of General Educational Development or a High School Equivalency Diploma. Among other things, DPI requires that the individual meet certain residency and minimum age requirements and attend a counseling session. The individual also must obtain a passing score on a GED practice test for the content area (commonly called a GED Ready practice test).
Mentor Greater Milwaukee, Inc.
The bill requires DPI to award grants to Mentor Greater Milwaukee, Inc., to expand access to quality youth mentoring in Milwaukee County.
The Literacy Lab
The bill requires the state superintendent of public instruction to annually distribute an amount appropriated to DPI to The Literacy Lab to provide an evidence-based literacy intervention program in public schools located in Milwaukee and Racine.
Reach Out and Read Wisconsin
The bill requires the state superintendent of public instruction to annually distribute an amount appropriated to DPI to Reach Out and Read, Inc., for the early literacy program operated by its affiliate Reach Out and Read Wisconsin. The mission of Reach Out and Read, Inc., is to give young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together.
Graduation Alliance
The bill requires the state superintendent of public instruction to annually distribute an amount appropriated to DPI to Graduation Alliance, Inc., to support pupils and their families through an academic coaching program known as Engage Wisconsin. Currently, DPI partners with Graduation Alliance, Inc., to provide Engage Wisconsin to pupils and their families.
Recollection Wisconsin
The bill appropriates money from the universal service fund to provide funding to Wisconsin Library Services, Inc., commonly known as WiLS, to support the digitization of historic materials in public libraries throughout this state. The bill also requires DPI to distribute annually the amount appropriated for this purpose to WiLS. The collaborative administered by WiLS to digitize and make available historic materials throughout the state is known as Recollection Wisconsin.
