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.
Provision of opioid antagonist in public schools and independent charters
Under current law, school boards and governing bodies of private schools are required to supply a standard first aid kit for use in an emergency. Also under current law, certain school personnel, including employees and volunteers of public and private schools, are permitted to administer an opioid antagonist on a person who appears to be undergoing an opioid-related drug overdose.
The bill adds that school boards and operators of independent charter schools are required to ensure that each school maintain a usable supply of an opioid antagonist on-site, in a place that is accessible at all times.
Prohibiting vaping on school property
The bill prohibits individuals from vaping on school premises. Under the bill, “school premises” is defined as any real property owned by, rented by, or under the control of a school board, operator or governing board of an independent charter school, or governing body of a private school. “School premises” includes outdoor spaces such as playgrounds and athletic fields. The bill defines vaping as inhaling or exhaling vapor from a vapor product, regardless of whether the liquid or other substance being heated to produce the vapor contains nicotine. Under current law, a school board, operator or governing board of an independent charter school, or governing body of a private school may prohibit vaping on school premises under its respective control.
Fees for licensure of school and public library personnel; appropriation changes
Under current law, 90 percent of the fees collected by DPI for licensure of school and public library personnel and for school districts’ participation in DPI’s teacher improvement program are credited to an annual sum certain appropriation. The remaining 10 percent of these fees are deposited into the general fund under current law. The bill changes this annual sum certain appropriation to a continuing appropriation and requires that 100 percent of the total fees collected by DPI be credited to the appropriation. An annual sum certain appropriation is expendable only up to the amount shown in the schedule and only for the fiscal year for which it is made. A continuing appropriation is expendable until fully depleted or repealed.
Under current law and the bill, the purposes of the appropriation are for 1) DPI’s administrative costs related to licensure of school and public library personnel; 2) if DPI exercises its authority to provide information and analysis of the professional school personnel supply in this state, the costs of providing that information and analysis; and 3) DPI’s teacher improvement program.
Higher education
Grants for technical college district boards to provide workforce advancement training for businesses
The bill requires the TCS Board to award grants to technical college district boards for the provision of customized instruction and training opportunities for businesses to meet current workforce demands in various industries.
Technical college district revenue limits
The bill increases the limit on certain revenue, primarily derived from the property tax levy, that technical college districts may generate.
Under current law, with certain exceptions, a technical college district board may not increase its revenue each school year by more than the greater of 1) 0 percent or 2) the percentage change in the district’s equalized value due to new construction, less improvements removed, between the previous year and the current year. The amount of this limit is called the valuation factor. A district board’s revenue is the sum of its tax levy for operations and the amount of aid it receives for property tax relief and tax-exempt personal property.
The bill increases item 1 of the valuation factor from 0 percent to 2 percent, allowing an increase of a district board’s revenue by 2 percent over the previous year regardless of any change in the district’s equalized value due to net new construction.
Funding for a farm and industry short course at UW-River Falls
The bill creates a biennial appropriation for general program operations of a farm and industry short course at UW-River Falls.
UW System direct admission program
The bill requires the Board of Regents of the UW System to establish a direct admission program that provides Wisconsin high school graduates with conditional or guaranteed admission to a UW System institution based on established eligibility criteria.
Grants for technical college district boards for the creation of open educational resources
The bill requires the TCS Board to award grants to technical college district boards for the creation of open educational resources that will allow the public and technical colleges across the TCS to access technical college course materials.
Funding for equipment, supplies, and personnel training at a regional Madison Area Technical College EMT training center
The bill requires the TCS Board to award a grant of $2,500,000 in fiscal year 2023-24 to Madison Area Technical College for equipment, supplies, and emergency medical technician, advanced emergency medical technician, and paramedic personnel training at an emergency medical technician regional training center located in Baraboo.
Paid family and medical leave; paid sick leave for temporary employees
The bill requires the Board of Regents to develop a plan for a program for paid family and medical leave of 12 weeks annually for UW System employees and a plan for a program for paid sick leave for temporary UW System employees. The bill requires the board to submit these plans to the administrator of the Division of Personnel Management in DOA with its compensation plan changes for the 2023-25 biennium.
Nonresident tuition exemptions for UW and technical college students
The bill creates a nonresident tuition exemption for certain UW System and technical college students.
Under current law, a person generally must be a resident of this state for at least 12 months prior to registering at a UW System institution in order to be exempt from paying nonresident tuition. Current law also includes nonresident tuition exemptions, under which certain nonresident students pay resident tuition rates.
Also under current law, the TCS Board establishes program fees that the technical college districts must charge students. With exceptions, the fees for nonresidents are 150 percent of the fees for residents. The TCS Board must establish procedures to determine the residence of students attending technical colleges, but current law specifies that certain students must be considered residents of this state.
