Chapter 118

118.58(1) (1) In this section, “virtual private school” means a private school in which all or a portion of the instruction is provided through means of the Internet, and the pupils enrolled in and instructional staff employed by the school are geographically remote from each other.

118.58(2) (2) If a school board, operator of a charter school, or governing body of a private school or tribal school operates a high school that includes grades 11 and 12, the school board, charter school operator, or governing body shall, for each high school that includes grades 11 and 12, prepare a class ranking of pupils enrolled in the high school as of the class’s completion of grade 11 if there are at least 15 pupils in the class. Pupils shall be ranked on the basis of academic achievement and the sole criterion for ranking pupils shall be the pupil’s grade point average.

118.58(3) (3) 

118.58(3)(a) (a) Subject to par. (b), each class ranking under sub. (2) shall identify those pupils who rank in the top 5 percent of their high school class and those pupils who rank in the top 10 percent of their high school class. The class ranking may also identify the class rank of pupils who do not rank in the top 10 percent of their high school class.

118.58(3)(b) (b) If a high school’s class enrollment is at least 15 but less than 20 pupils, the school board, operator of the charter school, or governing body of the private school or tribal school shall identify the highest ranked and 2nd highest ranked pupils in the class using the ranking method under sub. (2). For purposes of par. (a) and sub. (4) and s. 36.11 (3m), the highest ranked pupil shall be considered to be in the top 5 percent of the pupil’s high school class and the 2nd highest ranked pupil shall be considered to be in the top 10 percent of the pupil’s high school class.

118.58(4) (4) After completing the class ranking required under sub. (2), a school board, operator of a charter school, or governing body of a private school or tribal school shall do all of the following:

118.58(4)(a) (a) Notify each pupil ranked in the top 10 percent of the pupil’s high school class that the pupil is ranked, as applicable, in the top 5 percent or in the top 10 percent of the pupil’s high school class.

118.58(4)(b) (b) For each pupil notified under par. (a), include that the pupil is ranked, as applicable, in the top 5 percent or in the top 10 percent of the pupil’s high school class on the pupil’s high school transcript as of the pupil’s completion of grade 11.

118.58(5) (5) This section does not apply to a virtual private school.

118.58 History History: 2023 a. 95.

118.60 118.60 Parental choice program for eligible school districts and other school districts.

118.60(1) (1) In this section:

118.60(1)(ab) (ab) “Accrediting entity” means Cognia, Inc., Wisconsin Religious and Independent Schools Accreditation, Independent Schools Association of the Central States, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod School Accreditation, National Lutheran School Accreditation, Wisconsin Association of Christian Schools, Christian Schools International, Association of Christian Schools International, the diocese or archdiocese within which a private school is located, and any other organization recognized by the National Council for Private School Accreditation.

118.60(1)(ad) (ad) “Administrator” means the superintendent, supervising principal, executive director, or other person who acts as the administrative head of a private school participating in the program under this section.

118.60(1)(af) (af) “Disqualified organization” means an accrediting organization that is not an accrediting entity or a member of or otherwise sanctioned by an accrediting entity.

118.60(1)(ag) (ag) “Disqualified person” means a person who, when a private school was barred or terminated from participation in the program under this section by an order issued under sub. (10), satisfied at least one of the following:

118.60(1)(ag)1. 1. Had a controlling ownership interest in, or was the administrator or an officer, director, or trustee of, the private school.

118.60(1)(ag)2. 2. Was a person designated by the administrator of the private school to assist in processing pupil applications.

118.60(1)(ag)3. 3. Was responsible for an action or circumstance that led to the private school being barred or terminated from participation in the program under this section.

118.60(1)(am) (am) “Eligible school district” means the school district that was identified as an eligible school district under 2011 Wisconsin Act 32, section 9137 (3u).

118.60(1)(bn) (bn)

118.60(1)(bn)1. 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., “new private school” means a school that qualifies as a private school under s. 115.001 (3r) and that satisfies either of the following:

118.60(1)(bn)1.a. a. The school has been in continuous operation in this state for less than 12 consecutive months.

118.60(1)(bn)1.b. b. The school provides education to fewer than 40 pupils divided into 2 or fewer grades.

118.60(1)(bn)2. 2. “New private school” does not include a private school the governing body of which operates or manages a private school that is participating in the program under this section or under s. 119.23 if all of the following apply:

118.60(1)(bn)2.a. a. No payment has been withheld from any private school operated or managed by the governing body under sub. (10) (d) or s. 119.23 (10) (d) in the 3 immediately preceding school years.

118.60(1)(bn)2.b. b. No order barring any private school operated or managed by the governing body from participating in the program under this section or s. 119.23 has been issued under sub. (10) (a), (am), (ar), or (b) or under s. 119.23 (10) (a), (am), (ar), or (b) in the 3 immediately preceding school years.

118.60(1)(c) (c) “Preaccreditation” means the review and approval of an educational plan. Review of an education plan includes consideration of whether the school submitting the plan meets the requirements under s. 118.165 (1). The fact that a private school has obtained preaccreditation does not require an accrediting entity to accredit the private school.

118.60(1)(cm) (cm) “Preaccrediting entity” means the Institute for the Transformation of Learning at Marquette University, Wisconsin North Central Association, Wisconsin Religious and Independent Schools Accreditation, Independent Schools Association of the Central States, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod School Accreditation, National Lutheran School Accreditation, Wisconsin Association of Christian Schools, Christian Schools International, Association of Christian Schools International, and the diocese or archdiocese within which a private school is located.

118.60(1)(d) (d) “Progress records” has the meaning given in s. 118.125 (1) (c).

118.60(1)(g) (g) “Teacher” means a person who has primary responsibility for the academic instruction of pupils.

118.60(2) (2) 

118.60(2)(a) (a) Subject to pars. (ag) and (ar), any pupil in grades kindergarten to 12 who resides within an eligible school district may attend any private school under this section and, subject to pars. (ag), (ar), (be), (bm), and (bs), any pupil in grades kindergarten to 12 who resides in a school district, other than an eligible school district or a 1st class city school district, may attend any private school under this section if all of the following apply:

118.60(2)(a)1. 1.

118.60(2)(a)1.a. a. Except as provided in par. (bm), the pupil is a member of a family that has a total family income that does not exceed an amount equal to 3.0 times the poverty level determined in accordance with criteria established by the director of the federal office of management and budget. In this subdivision and sub. (3m), family income includes income of the pupil’s parents or legal guardians. Except as provided in subd. 1. c. and d., the family income of the pupil shall be verified as provided in subd. 1. b. A pupil attending a private school under this section whose family income increases may continue to attend a private school under this section.

118.60(2)(a)1.b. b. The private school or the pupil’s parent or guardian submits to the department of public instruction the names, addresses, social security numbers, and other state and federal tax identification numbers, if any, of the pupil’s parents or legal guardians that reside in the same household as the pupil, whether and to whom the parents or legal guardians are married, the names of all of the other members of the pupil’s family residing in the same household as the pupil, and the school year for which family income is being verified under this subd. 1. b. The department of revenue shall review the information submitted under this subd. 1. b. and shall verify the eligibility or ineligibility of the pupil to participate in the program under this section on the basis of family income. In this subdivision, “family income” means federal adjusted gross income of the parents or legal guardians residing in the same household as the pupil for the tax year preceding the school year for which family income is being verified under this subd. 1. b. or, if not available, for the tax year preceding the tax year preceding the school year for which family income is being verified under this subd. 1. b. Family income for a family in which the pupil’s parents are married or in which the pupil’s legal guardians are married shall be reduced by $7,000 before the verification is made under this subd. 1. b. The department of revenue may take no other action on the basis of the information submitted under this subd. 1. b. If the department of revenue is unable to verify family income or to verify whether the pupil is eligible or ineligible to participate in the program under this section on the basis of family income, the department of revenue shall notify the department of public instruction, the private school, and the pupil’s parent or guardian of this fact and the department of public instruction shall utilize an alternative process, to be established by the department of public instruction, to determine whether the pupil is eligible to participate in the program under this section on the basis of family income. The department of public instruction may not request any additional verification of income from the family of a pupil once the department of revenue has verified that the pupil is eligible to participate in the program under this section on the basis of family income. The department of public instruction shall establish a procedure for determining family income eligibility for those pupils for whom no social security number or state or federal tax identification number has been provided.

118.60(2)(a)1.c. c. The family income of a pupil does not need to be verified under subd. 1. b. for a pupil who attended a participating private school under this section or s. 119.23 in a school year and applies to attend a participating private school under this section in the following school year.

118.60(2)(a)1.d. d. The family income of a pupil does not need to be verified under subd. 1. b. for a pupil who resided in a 1st class city school district in a school year, attended a participating private school in a 1st class city school district under the program under s. 119.23 in that school year, and applies to attend a participating private school in an eligible school district in the school year immediately following that school year.

118.60(2)(a)2. 2. Except as provided in par. (d), the pupil satisfies one or more of the following:

118.60(2)(a)2.a. a. The pupil was enrolled in a public school in the previous school year.

118.60(2)(a)2.b. b. The pupil was not enrolled in school in the previous school year.

118.60(2)(a)2.c. c. The pupil attended a private school under this section or s. 119.23 in the previous school year.

118.60(2)(a)2.d. d. The pupil is applying to attend kindergarten, first grade, or 9th grade in a private school participating in the program under this section.

118.60(2)(a)2.e. e. The pupil attended a school in another state in the previous school year.

118.60(2)(a)2.f. f. The pupil was on a waiting list to attend a private school under this section or s. 119.23 during the previous school year.

118.60(2)(a)2.g. g. If the pupil resides in a school district, other than an eligible school district or a 1st class city school district, the pupil was on a waiting list under sub. (3) (ar) 4. in any previous school year.

118.60(2)(a)3. 3.

118.60(2)(a)3.a. a. Except as provided in subd. 3. b. and c. and par. (ag) 1., the private school notified the state superintendent of its intent to participate in the program under this section or in the program under s. 119.23, and paid the nonrefundable fee, set by the department as required under s. 119.23 (2) (a) 3., by January 10 of the previous school year. The notice shall specify the number of pupils participating in the program under this section and in the program under s. 119.23 for which the school has space.

118.60(2)(a)3.b. b. For a private school that intends to participate in the program under this section in an eligible school district identified under 2011 Wisconsin Act 32, section 9137 (3u), the private school notified the state superintendent of its intent to participate, and paid the nonrefundable fee set by the department under subd. 3. a. by August 1, 2011. The notice shall specify the number of pupils participating in the program under this section for which the school has space.

118.60(2)(a)3.c. c. For a private school that intends to participate in the program under this section and to accept pupils who reside in a school district, other than an eligible school district or a 1st class city school district, in the 2013-14 school year, the private school notified the state superintendent of its intent to participate and paid the nonrefundable fee set by the department as required under s. 119.23 (2) (a) 3. by July 26, 2013. The private school shall include an electronic mail address on the notice of intent to participate and shall specify the number of pupils who reside in a school district, other than an eligible school district or a 1st class city school district, for which the school has space. The department shall notify the private school that it has received the notice of intent to participate in writing and by electronic mail by July 31, 2013.

118.60(2)(a)4. 4. The private school complies with 42 USC 2000d.

118.60(2)(a)5. 5. The private school meets all health and safety laws or codes that apply to public schools.

118.60(2)(a)6. 6.

118.60(2)(a)6.a. a. Except as provided in subd. 6. c. and d., all of the private school’s teachers have a teaching license issued by the department or a bachelor’s degree or a degree or educational credential higher than a bachelor’s degree, including a masters or doctorate, from a nationally or regionally accredited institution of higher education.

118.60(2)(a)6.b. b. All of the private school’s administrators have at least a bachelor’s degree from a nationally or regionally accredited institution of higher education or a teaching license or administrator’s license issued by the department.

118.60(2)(a)6.c. c. Any teacher employed by the private school on July 1 of the first school year that begins after a school district is identified as an eligible school district, who has been teaching for at least the 5 consecutive years immediately preceding that July 1, and who does not satisfy the requirements under subd. 6. a. on that July 1, applies to the department on a form prepared by the department for a temporary, nonrenewable waiver from the requirements under subd. 6. a. The department shall promulgate rules to implement this subd. 6. c., including the form of the application and the process by which the waiver application will be reviewed. The application form shall require the applicant to submit a plan for satisfying the requirements under subd. 6. a., including the name of the accredited institution of higher education at which the teacher is pursuing or will pursue the bachelor’s degree and the anticipated date on which the teacher expects to complete the bachelor’s degree. No waiver granted under this subd. 6. c. is valid after July 31 of the 5th school year that begins after a school district was identified as an eligible school district.

118.60(2)(a)6.d. d. Any teacher employed on July 1, 2013, by a private school that accepts pupils under the program who reside in a school district, other than an eligible school district or a 1st class city school district, who has been teaching for at least the 5 consecutive years immediately preceding that July 1, and who does not satisfy the requirements under subd. 6. a. on that July 1, applies to the department on a form prepared by the department for a temporary, nonrenewable waiver from the requirements under subd. 6. a. The department shall promulgate rules to implement this subd. 6. d., including the form of the application and the process by which the waiver application will be reviewed. The application form shall require the applicant to submit a plan for satisfying the requirements under subd. 6. a., including the name of the accredited institution of higher education at which the teacher is pursuing or will pursue the bachelor’s degree and the anticipated date on which the teacher expects to complete the bachelor’s degree. No waiver granted under this subd. 6. d. is valid after July 31 of the 5th school year that begins after July 1, 2013.

118.60(2)(a)7. 7.

118.60(2)(a)7.a. a. For a private school that was a first-time participant in the program under this section before April 10, 2014, and that is not accredited by an accrediting entity, the private school obtains accreditation from an accrediting entity by December 31 of the 3rd school year following the first school year in which the private school began participating in the program under this section. If the private school is accredited under this subd. 7. a., the private school is not required to obtain preaccreditation under subd. 7. b. as a prerequisite to providing instruction under this section in additional grades or in an additional or new school.

118.60(2)(a)7.b. b. Each private school that begins participation in the program under this section on or after April 10, 2014, and that is not accredited by an accrediting entity, shall obtain preaccreditation by a preaccrediting entity by August 1 before the first school term in which the private school begins participation in the program under this section, or by May 1 if the private school begins participating in the program during summer school. In any school year, a private school to which this subd. 7. b. applies may apply for and seek to obtain preaccreditation from only one preaccrediting entity. A private school to which this subd. 7. b. applies that fails to obtain preaccreditation as required under this subd. 7. b. may not participate in the program under this section or under s. 119.23 until preaccreditation has been obtained, but the private school may apply for and seek to obtain preaccreditation from a preaccrediting entity for the following school year.

118.60(2)(a)7.c. c. A private school to which subd. 7. b. applies shall apply for accreditation by an accrediting entity by December 31 of the first school year that begins after April 10, 2014, in which the private school begins participation in the program under this section, and shall achieve accreditation by an accrediting entity by December 31 of the 3rd school year following the first school year in which the private school begins participation in the program under this section. If the private school is accredited under this subd. 7. c., the private school is not required to obtain preaccreditation under subd. 7. b. as a prerequisite to providing instruction under this section in additional grades or in an additional or new school.

118.60(2)(a)8. 8. Notwithstanding s. 118.165 (1) (c), the private school annually provides at least 1,050 hours of direct pupil instruction in grades 1 to 6 and at least 1,137 hours of direct pupil instruction in grades 7 to 12. Hours provided under this subdivision include recess and time for pupils to transfer between classes but do not include the lunch periods. Annually, no more than 140 hours of work under s. 118.56 may be counted as hours of direct pupil instruction.

118.60(2)(a)9. 9. If the private school operates any grade from 5 to 12, the private school includes in its curriculum the instruction required under s. 121.02 (1) (L) 8., so far as applicable.

118.60(2)(ag) (ag) The governing body of a new private school shall comply with all of the following before the new private school may participate in the program under this section:

118.60(2)(ag)1. 1. By August 1 of the school year immediately preceding the school year in which the new private school intends to participate in the program under this section, complete and submit to the department the following on forms provided by the department:

118.60(2)(ag)1.a. a. A notice of intent to participate and agreement to comply with procedural requirements.

118.60(2)(ag)1.b. b. A complete anticipated budget for the first fiscal period of participation in the program under this section showing that the private school will have a positive cash flow in each month of the fiscal period and no operating deficit. The governing body shall include on the completed form anticipated enrollments for all pupils enrolled in the new private school and for pupils enrolled in the new private school under this section; estimated revenues and costs; a schedule of anticipated beginning and ending net choice program assets; and a schedule of monthly cash flow requirements. The governing body shall include in the budget contingent funding sources the new private school will use in the event that actual enrollments are less than expected.

118.60(2)(ag)1.c. c. The nonrefundable fee established by the department, as required under s. 119.23 (2) (a) 3., for the school year in which the fee is paid by the new private school. If the amount of the fee paid by the new private school under this subd. 1. c. increases for the school year in which the new private school will first participate in the program under this section, the new private school shall pay the difference between the fee paid and the fee due to the department. If the amount of the fee paid by the new private school under this subd. 1. c. decreases for the school year in which the new private school will first participate in the program under this section, the department shall refund the new private school the difference between the fee paid and the fee due to the department.

118.60(2)(ag)2. 2.

118.60(2)(ag)2.a. a. By August 1 of the school year immediately preceding the school year in which the new private school intends to participate in the program under this section, submit to the department the information under sub. (6p) (a) and (b).

118.60(2)(ag)2.b. b. If, at the time the new private school submits the information required under subd. 2. a., the new private school does not have a physical property within which the private school intends to operate, submit a mailing address of an administrator of the private school.

118.60(2)(ag)4. 4. Notwithstanding the deadline to obtain preaccreditation under par. (a) 7. b., by December 15 of the school year immediately preceding the school year in which the new private school intends to participate in the program under this section, obtain preaccreditation from a preaccrediting entity.

118.60(2)(ag)5. 5. By August 1 of the first school year in which the new private school intends to participate in the program under this section, demonstrate to the satisfaction of the department that the new private school has contracted with a 3rd-party payroll service that will remit federal and state payroll taxes for each employee of the new private school for the duration of the school year.

118.60(2)(ar) (ar) By December 31 of the school year immediately preceding the school year in which a new private school intends to participate in the program under this section, the department shall notify the new private school in writing whether it has satisfied those requirements under par. (ag) that must be satisfied before December 31. If the department determines that the new private school has not satisfied those requirements, the new private school may not participate in the program under this section in the following school year, but may reinitiate the process under par. (ag) for the next following school year.

118.60(2)(be) (be)

118.60(2)(be)1. 1. In this paragraph:

118.60(2)(be)1.a. a. “Applicable percentage” means, for the 2015-16 and 2016-17 school years, 1 percent, and for each school year beginning with the 2017-18 school year and ending with the 2025-26 school year, the applicable percentage for the previous school year plus one percentage point.

118.60(2)(be)1.b. b. “Membership” has the meaning given in s. 121.004 (5).

118.60(2)(be)1.c. c. “Pupil participation limit” means a school district’s membership in the previous school year multiplied by the applicable percentage for the current school year.

118.60(2)(be)2. 2. Except as provided in subd. 2m., beginning with the 2015-16 school year and ending with the 2025-26 school year, the total number of pupils residing in a school district, other than an eligible school district or a 1st class city school district, who may attend a private school under this section during a school year may not exceed the school district’s pupil participation limit for that school year.

118.60(2)(be)2m. 2m. A pupil who resides in a school district, other than an eligible school district or a 1st class city school district, may attend a private school under this section if all of the following apply:

118.60(2)(be)2m.a. a. The pupil attended a private school under par. (bm) in the previous school year.

118.60(2)(be)2m.b. b. The department determines that the total number of applications from pupils residing in the pupil’s resident school district exceeded the pupil’s resident school district’s pupil participation limit.

118.60(2)(be)2m.c. c. The pupil’s application to attend a private school under this section was not accepted under the random process utilized by the department.

118.60(2)(be)2m.d. d. The private school to which the pupil applied to attend under this section has not exceeded its maximum general capacity or seating capacity.

118.60(2)(be)3. 3. Beginning with the 2026-27 school year, there is no limit on the number of pupils who may attend private schools under this section.

118.60(2)(bm) (bm) No pupil who resides in a school district, other than an eligible school district or a 1st class city school district, may attend a participating private school under this section unless the pupil is a member of a family that has a total family income that does not exceed an amount equal to 2.2 times the poverty level, determined in accordance with criteria established by the director of the federal office of management and budget. In this paragraph and sub. (3m), family income includes income of the pupil’s parents or legal guardians. Except as provided in par. (a) 1. c., the family income of the pupil shall be verified as provided in par. (a) 1. b. A pupil attending a private school under this section whose family income increases may continue to attend a private school under this section.

118.60(2)(bs) (bs) In the 2015-16 and 2016-17 school years, a private school may accept pupils who reside in a school district, other than an eligible school district or a 1st class city school district, under this section only if the private school has been continually operating as a private school since May 1, 2013.

118.60(2)(c) (c)