Current law generally limits the total amount of revenue per pupil that a school district may receive from general school aids and property taxes in a school year to the amount of revenue allowed per pupil in the previous school year plus a per pupil adjustment, if any, as provided by law. Until 2425, current law provides a $325 per pupil adjustment in each school year. Under the bill, beginning in the 2024-25 school year, the per pupil adjustment is the per pupil increase for the previous school year as adjusted for any increase in the consumer price index.

The bill also changes the rate at which the state reimburses school boards, operators of independent charter schools, cooperative educational service agencies (CESAs), and county children with disabilities education boards (CCDEBs) for costs incurred to provide special education and related services to children with disabilities and for school age parents programs (eligible costs). Under current law, the state reimburses the full cost of special education for children in hospitals and convalescent homes for orthopedically disabled children. After those costs are paid, the state reimburses remaining eligible costs from the amount remaining in the appropriation account at a rate that distributes the full amount appropriated. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau estimates that, in the 2023-24 school year, the reimbursement rate will be 33.3 percent.

The bill changes the appropriation to a sum sufficient and provides that, beginning in the 2023-24 school year, after full payment of hospital and convalescent home costs, the remaining costs are reimbursed at 90 percent of eligible costs.

Currently, the Department of Public Instruction provides 1) special education aid to school districts, independent charter schools, CESAs, and CCDEBs; 2) aid to school districts, CESAs, and CCDEBs for providing physical or mental health treatment services to private school and tribal school pupils; and 3) aid for school age parents programs to school districts only.

Finally, the bill creates a grant program administered by the Higher Educational Aids Board under which HEAB awards grants to students enrolled in the teacher preparatory program of an institution of higher education. Grant moneys may be used to pay 1) the student’s tuition and fees and 2) any expense incurred in connection with obtaining a license to teach issued by the Department of Public Instruction, including any examination or licensing fee. However, the grant amount for the payment of tuition and fees is limited to the amount of tuition and segregated fees charged to a resident undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for an equivalent program. HEAB also may not award a grant to a student unless the student enters into a written agreement to work in this state as a teacher in an elementary or secondary school for at least four years after receiving a bachelor’s degree.

SB1045,,9920.255 (2) (b) Aids for special education and school age parents programs. The amounts in the schedule A sum sufficient for the payment of the full cost of special education for children in hospitals and convalescent homes under s. 115.88 (4) and for the payment of aids for special education and school age parents programs under ss. 115.88, 115.93 and 118.255 as provided under s. 115.882.

SB1045,,1212(a) “Institution of higher education” means an institution of higher education, as defined in s. 39.53 (1), that offers a teacher preparatory program approved under s. 115.28 (7) (a).

SB1045,,1414(2) (a) Subject to par. (b) and sub. (3), from the appropriation under s. 20.235 (1) (cd), the board may award grants to students enrolled in the teacher preparatory program of an institution of higher education to pay for any of the following:

SB1045,,1717(b) The amount of a grant awarded under par. (a) for the payment of tuition and fees may not exceed the amount of academic fees plus segregated fees charged to a resident undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison enrolled in an equivalent program for an equivalent term.

SB1045,,1818(3) The board may not award a grant under sub. (2) (a) to a student unless the student enters into a written agreement in which the student commits to working in this state as a teacher in a public or private elementary or secondary school or tribal school for at least 4 years after the student receives a bachelor’s degree.

SB1045,,2020115.882 Payment of state aid; reimbursement rate. Funds appropriated under s. 20.255 (2) (b) shall be used first for the purpose of s. 115.88 (4). Costs In the 2023-24 school year and in each school year thereafter, costs eligible for reimbursement from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (b) under ss. 115.88 (1m) to (3), (6), and (8), 115.93, and 118.255 (4) shall be reimbursed at a rate set to distribute the full amount appropriated for reimbursement for the costs, not to exceed 100 percent 90 percent of eligible costs.

SB1045,,2222121.905 (3) (c) 6. For the limit for each of the 2015-16 to 2018-19 school years, for the 2021-22 school year, and for any the 2022-23 school year thereafter, make no adjustment to the result under par. (b).