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LRB-5578/1
KRP:ahe
2019 - 2020 LEGISLATURE
February 12, 2020 - Introduced by Senators Larson, Smith, Risser and Wirch,
cosponsored by Representatives Brostoff, Cabrera, Sinicki, Emerson, Hebl,
Bowen, Neubauer, L. Myers, C. Taylor and Ohnstad. Referred to Committee
on Education.
SB816,1,9 1An Act to repeal 118.43 (title), (1) to (7) and (9) and 118.44; to renumber and
2amend
118.43 (8); to amend 20.255 (2) (cs), 20.255 (2) (cu), 115.7915 (2)
3(intro.), 118.38 (1) (a) 9., 118.60 (2) (a) (intro.), 119.04 (1) and 119.23 (2) (a)
4(intro.); and to create 115.7915 (11), 118.435, 118.60 (12) and 119.23 (12) of the
5statutes; relating to: phasing out parental choice programs and the Special
6Needs Scholarship Program, repealing the achievement gap reduction program
7and the student achievement guarantee program, creating a new student
8achievement guarantee program, granting rule-making authority, and making
9an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill 1) eliminates the Achievement Gap Reduction (AGR) program and the
Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (former SAGE) program; 2) creates
a new Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (new SAGE) program; and 3)
phases out the parental choice programs and the Special Needs Scholarship Program
(SNSP).
Eliminate the AGR and former SAGE programs
The bill eliminates the AGR and former SAGE programs after the 2019-20
school year. The AGR program was created in 2015 Wisconsin Act 53 to replace the

former SAGE program. Both programs are categorical aid programs that provide
funding to a participating school for low-income pupils enrolled in certain grades if
the school complies with a five-year contract entered into between the Department
of Public Instruction and the school board of the school district in which the school
is located.
Current law provides that no contract may be entered into or renewed under
the former SAGE program after July 3, 2015, but a school board that had a contract
under the former SAGE program with respect to a school on July 3, 2015, could enter
into a contract with DPI for that school under the AGR program.
Under current law, an AGR contract must require a participating school to do
certain things, including implementing one or more of the following strategies in
grades kindergarten to three:
1. Reduce class sizes to no more than 18 pupils or no more than 30 pupils in a
class having at least two regular classroom teachers.
2. Provide data-driven instructional coaching for classroom teachers.
3. Provide data-informed, one-to-one tutoring to pupils who are struggling
with reading or mathematics.
Currently, AGR contracts may be renewed for one or more terms of five school
years.
Under the AGR program, DPI annually must pay to a school board a per pupil
amount determined by 1) subtracting $125,000 from the total amount appropriated
for the AGR and former SAGE programs for the school year; 2) adding the total
number of low-income pupils enrolled in grades kindergarten to three in all schools
participating in the AGR program and the total number of low-income pupils for
whom DPI must make a payment under the former SAGE program; and 3) dividing
the difference calculated under item 1 by the sum calculated under item 2.
Create a new SAGE program
The bill creates a new SAGE program that, similar to the AGR and former
SAGE programs, is a categorical aid program that provides funding to a
participating school for certain low-income pupils enrolled in the school if the school
complies with a five-year contract entered into between DPI and the school board
of the school district in which the school is located.
Under the bill, beginning the the 2020-21 school year, a school is eligible to
participate in the new SAGE program if at least 30 percent of the pupils enrolled in
the school in the previous school year were low-income pupils. In addition, the school
board of a school that is participating in the AGR or former SAGE program on the
effective date of the bill may participate in the new SAGE program if the school board
enters into a contract with DPI under the new SAGE program in the 2020-21 school
year.
Under the bill, a contract under the new SAGE program must require a
participating school to do certain things, including all of the following:
1. Reduce class sizes in the following manner: a) in the first school year of the
contract, reduce the class size to no more than 18 pupils in each class in at least the
two lowest grades taught in the school; b) in the second school year of the contract,
reduce the class size to no more than 18 pupils in each class in at least the three

lowest grades taught in the school; and c) in the third school year of the contract and
in every other school year of the contract, reduce the class size to no more than 18
pupils in each class in each grade taught in the school. A school may meet the class
size requirement by combining 2 classes if the combined class size is no more than
30 pupils and at least 2 regular classroom teachers are assigned to the combined
class.
2. Collaborate with community organizations to make educational and
recreational opportunities and community and social services available in the school.
3. Provide a rigorous academic curriculum designed to improve pupil academic
achievement.
4. Provide certain staff development opportunities and evaluate staff
performance and development.
The bill provides that contracts under the new SAGE program may be renewed
for one or more terms of five school years.
Under the bill, DPI annually must pay to a school board $2,250 for each
low-income pupil who is enrolled in a school subject to a contract under the new
SAGE program and who is assigned to a class in the school in which the class size
was reduced in the manner required under the school board's contract with DPI.
Under the bill, DPI must annually adjust the per pupil amount to reflect the
percentage change in the consumer price index if that change is positive. The bill
provides a sum sufficient appropriation for payments under the new SAGE program.
Phase out parental choice and SNSP programs
The bill provides that, beginning in the 2020-21 school year, no private school
may participate in a parental choice program unless the school was participating in
the parental choice program in the 2019-20 school year, and no pupil may attend a
private school under a parental choice program unless the pupil was attending that
private school under the parental choice program in the 2019-20 school year.
Finally, the bill provides that, beginning in the 2020-21 school year, no private
school may accept pupils under the SNSP unless the school was participating in the
SNSP in the 2019-20 school year, and no pupil may attend a private school under the
SNSP unless the pupil was attending that private school under the SNSP in the
2019-20 school year.
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:
SB816,1 1Section 1 . 20.255 (2) (cs) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB816,3,32 20.255 (2) (cs) Aid for debt service. The amounts in the schedule for aid for debt
3service under s. 118.43 (8) 118.433.
SB816,2
1Section 2. 20.255 (2) (cu) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB816,4,52 20.255 (2) (cu) Achievement gap reduction contracts Student achievement
3guarantee in education program; state aid
. The amounts in the schedule A sum
4sufficient
for aid to school districts under s. 118.435 (8) and for the program
5evaluation under ss. 118.43 and 118.44 s. 118.435 (9).
SB816,3 6Section 3 . 115.7915 (2) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB816,4,107 115.7915 (2) Scholarship requirements. (intro.) Beginning in the 2016-17
8school year, the department shall, subject to sub. (11), provide to a child with a
9disability a scholarship under sub. (4m) (a) to attend an eligible school if all of the
10following apply:
SB816,4 11Section 4 . 115.7915 (11) of the statutes is created to read:
SB816,4,1512 115.7915 (11) Sunset. (a) Beginning in the 2020-21 school year, the
13department may not provide a scholarship under this section to a child with a
14disability to attend a private school unless the child attended that private school
15under a scholarship under this section in the 2019-20 school year.
SB816,4,1816 (b) Beginning in the 2020-21 school year, a private school may not participate
17in the program under this section unless the private school was participating in the
18program under this section in the 2019-20 school year.
SB816,5 19Section 5. 118.38 (1) (a) 9. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB816,4,2220 118.38 (1) (a) 9. The requirements established for the student achievement
21guarantee contracts in education program under s. 118.43 and for achievement gap
22reduction contracts under s. 118.44
118.435.
SB816,6 23Section 6 . 118.43 (title), (1) to (7) and (9) of the statutes are repealed.
SB816,7 24Section 7 . 118.43 (8) of the statutes is renumbered 118.433 and amended to
25read:
SB816,5,10
1118.433 State aid for debt service related to former achievement
2guarantee contracts
. (1) Beginning in the 2000-01 school year, a school district
3is eligible for aid under this subsection section if it applies to the department for
4approval of the amount of bonds specified in the copy of the resolution under 1999
5Wisconsin Act 9
, section 9139 (2d). If the department approves the amount before
6June 30, 2001, the department shall, from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (cs),
7pay each school district that issues bonds pursuant to a referendum under 1999
8Wisconsin Act 9
, section 9139 (2d), an amount equal to 20 percent of the annual debt
9service cost on the bonds. This subsection section does not apply to the school district
10operating under ch. 119.
SB816,5,12 11(2) The department shall promulgate rules to implement and administer this
12subsection section.
SB816,8 13Section 8 . 118.435 of the statutes is created to read:
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