Vouchers in Wisconsin:
Milwaukee Parental Choice Program
This page includes information on:
- What is the history and current status of vouchers in Wisconsin?
- What does the future hold for the voucher program and public schools in Wisconsin?
- What are various stakeholders’ opinions on the new budget proposal and voucher expansion plan?
What is the history and current status of vouchers in Wisconsin?
Number of students and schools:
The first voucher program in the United States was the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP), a program that started in 1990 to enable low-income students from the city of Milwaukee to attend certain private schools with public money. The program began small: in its first year 7 nonsectarian private schools enrolled 341 students through vouchers. The program remained small because between 1990 and 1994, enrollment in the MPCP was limited to 1 percent of the Milwaukee Public School enrollment total (meaning just 900 students could enroll in MPCP). There was also a limit placed that stated no more than 49 percent of each school’s students were eligible for the MPCP. In 1993, these limits were increased, allowing for 1.5 percent of the Milwaukee Public School population to enroll in the voucher program, with a 65 percent limit from each school. In 1995, these limits were increased again, allowing for 15 percent of the public school population and no limit on the percentage of each school. The same 1995 act that allowed for these higher percentages also made religious schools eligible for participation in the MPCP, though this was a highly controversial law and was sent to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The Court eventually ruled that religious schools could participate in the MPCP, resulting in a major enrollment surge during the 1998-99 school year because so many more schools could become part of the program. In fact, during this most recent school year (2012-13), the majority of voucher-participating schools (86 percent) identify as religious schools, though they are religiously diverse, representing at least 10 different religious backgrounds. During the 1998-99 school year, there was a 400 percent increase in students participating in the MPCP because of the allowance of religious schools into the program, with a steep increase to nearly 6,000 students attending 83 choice schools. Over the next few years, enrollment continued to climb and kept hitting state enrollment caps, which had to be increased frequently, as legislators wanted to allow for the enrollment of more students. The cap was eventually eliminated altogether in 2011.
Today the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program is the largest voucher program in the nation, serving 20 percent of the entire Milwaukee Public Schools student population, meaning there are 25,000 Milwaukee students enrolled in 113 private schools as a result of the voucher program. By 2014-15, participation in the MPCP is expected to increase to 28,000 students, so even more than 20 percent of Milwaukee and Racine students. (Out of all of Wisconsin’s students, though, only 3 percent are enrolled in a voucher program.) The students enrolled in the MPCP make up the majority of the student body of the individual schools they attend—voucher students, on average, comprise 83 percent of the student population in the schools that participate in the program.
Today the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program is the largest voucher program in the nation, serving 20 percent of the entire Milwaukee Public Schools student population, meaning there are 25,000 Milwaukee students enrolled in 113 private schools as a result of the voucher program. By 2014-15, participation in the MPCP is expected to increase to 28,000 students, so even more than 20 percent of Milwaukee and Racine students. (Out of all of Wisconsin’s students, though, only 3 percent are enrolled in a voucher program.) The students enrolled in the MPCP make up the majority of the student body of the individual schools they attend—voucher students, on average, comprise 83 percent of the student population in the schools that participate in the program.
Eligibility and acceptance for the program:
Eligibility for the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program has changed drastically over time. To be eligible for the program in 1990, families had to live in Milwaukee and have a household income of 175 percent of the poverty line or lower. Today, residency requirements have not changed very much, as students must be residents of the City of Milwaukee or Racine to be eligible for the voucher program, but income guidelines have changed drastically over the years. In 2005, the rules changed so that families still had to be at 175 percent of the poverty line or below to enter the voucher program, but their income could rise as high as 220 percent of the poverty line before their kids were no longer eligible for the program. In 2011, the rules changed again, allowing families to make up to 300 percent of the poverty line and still be eligible for entry into the program, with no income limit for families whose children are already enrolled in the voucher program or were on the waiting list of a choice school the year prior.
Family income required for voucher qualification*:
300% of the Federal Poverty Level
If students meet the residency and above income requirements, they can apply for a choice program at any participating private school during that school’s open enrollment period. Each student has to re-apply to their school every year, again providing documentation of their residency, but not of their income. Each school must accept all students who apply, unless there are more applications than spots available, in which case the school must randomly select students, with no consideration of factors such as grades or test scores. The only preference schools may give is to those students already enrolled at that school or those students’ siblings. Choice schools are not allowed to discriminate against students with special needs if that school already has a program in place to meet that student’s needs. However, if the choice school does not have a program similar to what that student needs, the school is not required to accept them.
If a student meets all of the requirements and is accepted to a voucher school, then that private school will receive a state aid payment, with each payment being up to $6,442 per student. The gap between the voucher amount and the public school revenue amount has continued to grow over time. In the 2010-11 school year, the Milwaukee Public School revenue per student was $14,863, while the voucher cost was $6,442 per student. This does not mean that the voucher schools actually educate students at this price, though, because 82 percent of voucher schools report per-pupil costs as being higher than the voucher they receive from the state.
The poorest students attend voucher schools free of charge. However, because voucher schools actually spend more on students then the voucher is worth, a private school may charge tuition if the student is in high school (grades 9 through 12) and their family income exceeds 220 percent of the poverty line.
Family income levels that allow the school to charge some tuition*:
220% of the Federal Poverty Level
Eligibility for the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program has changed drastically over time. To be eligible for the program in 1990, families had to live in Milwaukee and have a household income of 175 percent of the poverty line or lower. Today, residency requirements have not changed very much, as students must be residents of the City of Milwaukee or Racine to be eligible for the voucher program, but income guidelines have changed drastically over the years. In 2005, the rules changed so that families still had to be at 175 percent of the poverty line or below to enter the voucher program, but their income could rise as high as 220 percent of the poverty line before their kids were no longer eligible for the program. In 2011, the rules changed again, allowing families to make up to 300 percent of the poverty line and still be eligible for entry into the program, with no income limit for families whose children are already enrolled in the voucher program or were on the waiting list of a choice school the year prior.
Family income required for voucher qualification*:
300% of the Federal Poverty Level
If students meet the residency and above income requirements, they can apply for a choice program at any participating private school during that school’s open enrollment period. Each student has to re-apply to their school every year, again providing documentation of their residency, but not of their income. Each school must accept all students who apply, unless there are more applications than spots available, in which case the school must randomly select students, with no consideration of factors such as grades or test scores. The only preference schools may give is to those students already enrolled at that school or those students’ siblings. Choice schools are not allowed to discriminate against students with special needs if that school already has a program in place to meet that student’s needs. However, if the choice school does not have a program similar to what that student needs, the school is not required to accept them.
If a student meets all of the requirements and is accepted to a voucher school, then that private school will receive a state aid payment, with each payment being up to $6,442 per student. The gap between the voucher amount and the public school revenue amount has continued to grow over time. In the 2010-11 school year, the Milwaukee Public School revenue per student was $14,863, while the voucher cost was $6,442 per student. This does not mean that the voucher schools actually educate students at this price, though, because 82 percent of voucher schools report per-pupil costs as being higher than the voucher they receive from the state. This means that while most voucher students will attend school at no charge, a private school may charge tuition if the student is in high school (grades 9 through 12) and their family income exceeds 220 percent of the poverty line.
Family income levels that allow the school to charge some tuition*:
220% of the Federal Poverty Level
Family income required for voucher qualification*:
300% of the Federal Poverty Level
- Family of 1: $34,380
- Family of 2: $46,569
- Family of 3: $58,758
- Family of 4: $70,947
If students meet the residency and above income requirements, they can apply for a choice program at any participating private school during that school’s open enrollment period. Each student has to re-apply to their school every year, again providing documentation of their residency, but not of their income. Each school must accept all students who apply, unless there are more applications than spots available, in which case the school must randomly select students, with no consideration of factors such as grades or test scores. The only preference schools may give is to those students already enrolled at that school or those students’ siblings. Choice schools are not allowed to discriminate against students with special needs if that school already has a program in place to meet that student’s needs. However, if the choice school does not have a program similar to what that student needs, the school is not required to accept them.
If a student meets all of the requirements and is accepted to a voucher school, then that private school will receive a state aid payment, with each payment being up to $6,442 per student. The gap between the voucher amount and the public school revenue amount has continued to grow over time. In the 2010-11 school year, the Milwaukee Public School revenue per student was $14,863, while the voucher cost was $6,442 per student. This does not mean that the voucher schools actually educate students at this price, though, because 82 percent of voucher schools report per-pupil costs as being higher than the voucher they receive from the state.
The poorest students attend voucher schools free of charge. However, because voucher schools actually spend more on students then the voucher is worth, a private school may charge tuition if the student is in high school (grades 9 through 12) and their family income exceeds 220 percent of the poverty line.
Family income levels that allow the school to charge some tuition*:
220% of the Federal Poverty Level
- Family of 1: $25,212
- Family of 2: $34,151
- Family of 3: $43,090
- Family of 4: $52,029
Eligibility for the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program has changed drastically over time. To be eligible for the program in 1990, families had to live in Milwaukee and have a household income of 175 percent of the poverty line or lower. Today, residency requirements have not changed very much, as students must be residents of the City of Milwaukee or Racine to be eligible for the voucher program, but income guidelines have changed drastically over the years. In 2005, the rules changed so that families still had to be at 175 percent of the poverty line or below to enter the voucher program, but their income could rise as high as 220 percent of the poverty line before their kids were no longer eligible for the program. In 2011, the rules changed again, allowing families to make up to 300 percent of the poverty line and still be eligible for entry into the program, with no income limit for families whose children are already enrolled in the voucher program or were on the waiting list of a choice school the year prior.
Family income required for voucher qualification*:
300% of the Federal Poverty Level
- Family of 1: $34,380
- Family of 2: $46,569
- Family of 3: $58,758
- Family of 4: $70,947
If students meet the residency and above income requirements, they can apply for a choice program at any participating private school during that school’s open enrollment period. Each student has to re-apply to their school every year, again providing documentation of their residency, but not of their income. Each school must accept all students who apply, unless there are more applications than spots available, in which case the school must randomly select students, with no consideration of factors such as grades or test scores. The only preference schools may give is to those students already enrolled at that school or those students’ siblings. Choice schools are not allowed to discriminate against students with special needs if that school already has a program in place to meet that student’s needs. However, if the choice school does not have a program similar to what that student needs, the school is not required to accept them.
If a student meets all of the requirements and is accepted to a voucher school, then that private school will receive a state aid payment, with each payment being up to $6,442 per student. The gap between the voucher amount and the public school revenue amount has continued to grow over time. In the 2010-11 school year, the Milwaukee Public School revenue per student was $14,863, while the voucher cost was $6,442 per student. This does not mean that the voucher schools actually educate students at this price, though, because 82 percent of voucher schools report per-pupil costs as being higher than the voucher they receive from the state. This means that while most voucher students will attend school at no charge, a private school may charge tuition if the student is in high school (grades 9 through 12) and their family income exceeds 220 percent of the poverty line.
Family income levels that allow the school to charge some tuition*:
220% of the Federal Poverty Level
- Family of 1: $25,212
- Family of 2: $34,151
- Family of 3: $43,090
- Family of 4: $52,029
What does the future hold for the voucher program and public schools in WI?
Wisconsin state Governor Scott Walker has proposed a two-year budget with multiple changes to voucher programs and funding as well as public school funding. The budget proposal at this time is in front of the Joint Finance Committee, where it is believes that there is enough support for the school funding changes for it to pass. The debate will then move before the Assembly and Senate, where all Democrats and at least three Republicans oppose the school funding changes, though it is too soon to say which direction this budget will take in regards to education funding.
The total budget of new education money is $278 million, with 42 percent going towards voucher and charter schools, 39 percent going towards general and categorical aid, and 19 percent going towards assessment and data systems. A breakdown of specific changes follows:
Voucher Programs
Multiple changes to voucher programs will occur if Governor Walkers new budget passes.
Public Schools
Multiple changes to public school funding will occur if Governor Walker’s new budget passes.
The total budget of new education money is $278 million, with 42 percent going towards voucher and charter schools, 39 percent going towards general and categorical aid, and 19 percent going towards assessment and data systems. A breakdown of specific changes follows:
Voucher Programs
Multiple changes to voucher programs will occur if Governor Walkers new budget passes.
- There will be an increase in the number of school districts and students participating in the state’s Parental Choice Program: Governor Walker is proposing a 9 percent increase, or $73 million, over the next two years to facilitate a major expansion of the Parental Choice Program. Under this proposal, districts will be able to implement a voucher program if they have at least 4,000 students and two underperforming schools within the district (as determined by having a state report card grade of “meets few expectations” or “fails to meet expectations”). Wisconsin has 42 districts with at least 4,000 students, and nine of these districts have two schools with failing grades. This means the for the coming year the Parental Choice Program would be expanded to the school districts of Beloit, Fond du Lac, Green Bay, Kenosha, Madison, Sheboygan, Superior, Waukesha, and West Allis-West Milwaukee, with no limit on the number of new districts that could eventually be allowed if at least two of their schools receive failing grades. For these districts, the budget proposes capping voucher enrollment at 500 students during the first year, 1,000 students during the second year, and no cap after the first two years. These caps do not apply to Milwaukee and Racine, though, where voucher enrollment is already far beyond these numbers.
- There will be new rules for the allowance of special needs children in voucher schools: Governor Walker’s proposal would allow special needs students to receive vouchers for any school they choose. Currently, private schools must only accept voucher students for whom they have a suitable special needs program already in place, but this expansion would mean the schools would be required to implement special needs programs for any voucher students accepted to that school.
- The value of each voucher will increase: The current amount the state pays to private schools for each voucher student is $6,442. Governor Walker proposes that schools accepting students in Kindergarten through 8th grade should receive $7,050 per student (an increase of 9 percent), and schools accepting students in 9th through 12th grade should receive $7,856 per student (an increase of 22 percent).
Public Schools
Multiple changes to public school funding will occur if Governor Walker’s new budget passes.
- There will be an increase in public school aid, but an overall funding freeze for public schools: Governor Walker is proposing a 1 percent increase, or $129 million, in general state aid for public schools over the next two years. However, the budget proposal does not include an increase in revenue limit for schools, meaning most districts will have to cut property taxes to stay below the current revenue limit. Simply stated, Governor Walker’s public school budget is a proposal of frozen funding for schools and a property tax cut for Wisconsin residents.
- There will be an increase in money for the evaluation of teacher practice and student outcome evaluation: Governor Walker has proposed $48 million in new money to put towards student assessments, teacher evaluations, and data collection. The largest portions of this money will go toward evaluating teacher practices and the resulting student outcomes as well as developing a statewide student information system.
What are various stakeholders' opinions on the new budget proposal and voucher expansion plan?
The variety of opinions and arguments for and against the new budget proposal are complex, with fair points made on both sides of the argument. Vouchers are generally supported by free-market conservative policymakers, private (and religious) school advocates, and low-income minority families in failing urban school districts. Vouchers are generally opposed by liberal policymakers, teachers unions, school district officials, and public school advocates. Of course it is impossible to categorize all members of a group as for or against the budget proposal, but in an attempt to iron out arguments for and against the budget proposal (and vouchers in general), we have compiled two lists of those for, and those against. Our reasoning is that if the majority of a group agrees on a stance, we have included the group as a whole on that list. For those groups that have a large difference of opinion within them, we have included them on both lists.
Those against the budget proposal include:
Those for the budget proposal include:
Those against the budget proposal include:
- Teachers and unions: Rating teachers performance based on students’ test scores is unfair and illogical because even good teachers may not have high rates of success when teaching students who are disadvantaged. In addition, cutting funding to schools with worse outcomes impacts teachers’ ability to create a successful learning environment because they don’t have money for basic needs that are essential for learning. Lastly, if the state wants great teachers, especially in the worst public schools, then there needs to be more money to incentivize those teachers to make up for the sacrifice of giving up the easier choice of working at a school for advantaged students.
- Public schools and public education advocates: While Governor Walker says that we need to grade schools to allow parents the knowledge and choice to leave the schools that are doing badly, public school advocates argue that this ignores the real problem: these schools are only failing because the students attending them are poor and disadvantaged; it is not because the schools are completely incompetent. The least advantaged students are the most expensive to educate and are also the most likely to remain in public schools because their parents are much less likely to enroll them in voucher programs. The education of the students who remain in public schools just gets more expensive as the public schools are seen as even worse because of the students remaining in them. In addition, voucher schools only take certain special education students, meaning the public school will be left with the most expensive students to educate while their special education funding gets reduced because they have fewer special education students, albeit the most expensive special education students. Freezing funding for public schools hurts almost all students, not just those in the most need, by creating larger class sizes, reducing important programming like art, music, and physical education, and eliminating money for classroom resources. Freezing public funding also has even more dire consequences, especially because the current economic climate has left many families in more need than ever. For example, Madison Metropolitan School District has more homeless families in the district than ever before, yet there are also fewer state resources than ever before to help them. Lastly, the new incentive system increases resources the most for districts that are performing well. This is not fair because the highest performing schools are in the most economically advantaged neighborhoods, where parents have bought into the best school districts. Low performing schools need more money to help with the wide variety of problems facing economically disadvantaged students.
- Madison public schools and some Madison private schools: The Madison Board of Education, Madison Common Council, and State Superintendent Tony Evers all oppose the new education budget. Around 20 percent of the Madison Metropolitan School District’s (MMSD) students are attending underperforming schools, but those in charge of these schools do not feel vouchers will solve the problem. In fact, the Madison Board of education notes that MMSD could lose up to $2 million in state aid during the first school year in which vouchers are implemented, up to $4.5 million during the second school year, and up to $7 million once voucher caps are removed in the third year because vouchers remove students from public schools and therefore reduce state funding for those schools. Some Madison private schools also oppose the voucher expansion program, even though their schools would receive more money if the program expanded. For example, Madison’s Wingra School Principal Paul Brahce says that he opposes vouchers for two main reasons: first, he believes well-funded public schools are important for the well-being of the city and the voucher program will hurt them; second, he does not want to compromise his school’s autonomy and allow the government to mandate anything at his school, including standardized testing, which he adamantly opposes.
- Some Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin: A small number of Republican Wisconsin lawmakers are concerned about various aspects of the education budget. First, they are wary of giving government money to private schools with no accountability: the state has no control over the curriculum of these schools and there is no state report card testing done at these schools either. Some Republicans, such as Senator Luther Olson, are concerned that the state’s report card testing itself may be too new and possibly also flawed, ultimately resulting in an incomplete picture of each school. Olson agrees with many Democrats that say it is wrong to tie so much funding money to the report cards. Another Republican, Senate President Mike Ellis says that the new education budget is “phase one” of vouchers becoming available for every student in the state, and he is opposed to this, especially because the most costly and difficult cases will end up in public schools especially if voucher schools are allowed to reject special needs students. Many of the Republicans in opposition to the education portion of the budget believe that Governor Walker included voucher expansion in the budget, as opposed to in separate legislation, so that Republicans would be more likely to vote for it because they support almost all of the other parts of the budget.
- Democrat lawmakers in Wisconsin: Democratic lawmakers oppose the new education budget because the proposed increase to voucher funding still does not make up for the substantial cuts being made to public education. Some, such as Representative Cory Mason, argue that we are under-resourcing public schools and then putting a tiny portion of those cuts towards voucher schools, in hope that it will solve the problems, but he believes it will not. Overall, the Democratic lawmakers argue that we must support public schools, especially improving public education for the least advantaged in society. Because schools' report card grades correlate directly with the percentage of poor children they're serving, offering less money to schools with worse report card grades is unethical.
Those for the budget proposal include:
- The majority of Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin: Republican lawmakers, including Governor Walker believe that it is the responsibility of the state to help students who are failing and that increasing access to vouchers will improve this situation. Many are concerned over the numbers of people on welfare or in prison because of not graduating from high school, and they cite evidence that voucher programs increase graduation rates. While they understand that struggling public schools need help to succeed, they believe that in the meantime, the voucher program needs to be expanded. They want the middle class and people across Wisconsin to have access to the program because many parents and students who could otherwise not afford a quality private education need to exit their failing public schools. They believe that teacher evaluation and a transparent system of grading must be put into place to hold schools accountable for attainment and progress. This is important because all schools need to be great schools, and the use of the school report card and the attachment of funding to these grades will help create changes in public schools to allow them to have educational success like other schools. In response to those who argue that underperforming schools need more money, Governor Walker states that there is money for the public schools that perform badly on the state report cards, as long as they submit plans for improvement. Other Wisconsin Republicans note that the state already pays twice as much for students in failing Milwaukee Public Schools than those students in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, so the state really shouldn’t be giving more money to these failing schools; the schools need to make changes first.
- Private/Religious school advocates and some Madison private schools: Many private and religious schools have a social justice mission and want to take on the task of helping as many students as they can, especially students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Vouchers may benefit private schools because vouchers often increase their enrollment numbers, so their revenue increases as well. One example of a Madison private school in support of the voucher expansion is St. James School. The principal there, Sister Kathleen Loughrin, says that her school is open to and excited about the possibility of receiving voucher students next year. She notes that in the St. James diocese there are many parents who are interested in having their children attend the school but at this point cannot afford to do so, and the vouchers will make this a possibility for them.
- Low-income minority families in bad school districts: Many parents of economically disadvantaged parents know that the key to success for their children’s future is a good education. These parents want their children to attend excellent schools, but most often these schools are located in school districts with expensive housing and property taxes that economically disadvantaged parents cannot afford. Vouchers enable parents
- School choice advocates: Many organizations are dedicated to the increase of school choice for students. School Choice Wisconsin, an organization that supports charter and voucher schools and public-private partnerships, says that the Madison Metropolitan School District’s data is “a misinformation campaign” intending to scare parents into believing there are more negative aspects of the voucher expansion program than there really are. Many school choice advocates argue that school choice will drive reform by allowing money to go to whatever school parents want their children to attend, rather than money going to whichever school children are required to attend. They argue that unions are simply attempting to create a monopoly on schools so that children will be forced to attend public for the sake of protecting jobs for public school teachers, who may not be performing effectively. Education should serve students effectively, and if that means subpar teachers lose their jobs and failing public schools shut down, that is a sacrifice that needs to be made.
Video: What next in Education Reform with Governor Scott Walker
Video: Governor Scott Walker Promotes School Choice, Education Reform
Sources:
- Anderson, Lauren. "Public, Private Schools in Madison Consider the Impact of Voucher Program." Madison Commons. University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism, 2 May 2013. Web. 4 May 2013.
- DeFour, Matthew. "School of Thought: Private School Vouchers." Sunday State Journal [Madison, WI] 5 May 2013: A1+. Print.
- Richards, Erin. "Gov. Scott Walker Backs Report Cards for Voucher Schools." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Journal Communications, 28 Feb. 2013. Web. 4 May 2013.
- Schultz, Steve. "Milwaukee Residents Press Legislators for More Money for City Schools." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Journal Communications, 20 Apr. 2013. Web. 4 May 2013.
- Stein, Jason, and Patrick Marley. "Scott Walker Proposes Expanding Voucher School Program, Raising Taxpayer Support." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Journal Communications, 18 Feb. 2013. Web. 4 May 2013.
- "Milwaukee Parental Choice Program." Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. State of Wisconsin, 2013. Web. 09 May 2013.
- McShane, Michael Q., Brian Kisida, Laura Jensen, and Patrick Wolf. Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: Descriptive Report on Participating Schools 2010–11. Rep. University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform School Choice Demonstration Project, Feb. 2012. Web. 4 May 2013.