MONROE - A compromise hammered out just a couple of weeks ago to keep virtual schools operating throughout Wisconsin and in Monroe may be in danger if an amendment to limit the number of enrolled students is added, Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, said Friday.
The bipartisan compromise bill made its way through both the Senate and Assembly education committees Jan. 29 and is expected to be taken up by the Senate on Tuesday and by the Assembly the following week.
Virtual schools allow students to learn from home under the guidance of their parents and instructors who teach over the Internet. They are popular with families who want their students to learn from home, but the schools are opposed by teachers' unions and critics who complain they drain money from traditional public schools.
The Monroe school district operates one of the 12 virtual schools in Wisconsin.
Sen. John Lehman, D-Racine, one of the co-authors of the compromise, along with Davis, said Wednesday when he toured the Monroe Virtual School that he supported the compromise legislation as it was written.
Lehman said there had been talk of an amendment to the plan that would put enrollment caps on school districts but he would prefer to see the bill passed as it was written.
Since Wednesday, there has been more talk of an enrollment cap amendment Monroe school district Superintendent Larry Brown said. And he's not happy about it.
"No one has explained to me any rational opinions as to why they need the cap," Brown said.
Brown told Lehman and Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, on Wednesday when they visited the school that an enrollment cap would make it difficult to determine how many students would be accepted to the school, because not every student who applies is accepted or goes through with their plan to attend. That could result in some students being turned away because the district mistakenly thinks it has met an enrollment cap.
Lehman's office said Friday that Gov. Jim Doyle has said he would veto the bill if an enrollment cap amendment wasn't included.
No amendment has been written or officially proposed yet.
Lehman's office said the choice appears to be to either try and work out some kind of compromise on the compromise bill, or expect a veto from Doyle.
No one from the governor's office was available to comment Friday.
Erpenbach said Friday he would support the compromise bill as written if that is what the Monroe school district supports.
"If Monroe says no (to an amendment), I'm voting no," he said.
Davis said he is disappointed at the possibility of an amendment.
"I reached out to the governor's office after the Senate (education) committee passed the plan unanimously and the Assembly (education) committee passed it by a 6-3 vote," he said.
Davis pointed out that the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction also supports the compromise legislation.
If an amendment is attached, Davis said, it will put the legislation "back to the drawing board" but he said it's difficult to comment on a possible amendment when one hasn't been written.
However, a change in the bill "would create significant challenges," he added.
Davis said if the Senate includes an enrollment cap the Assembly could strip away the amendment and send it back to the Senate. Both the Senate and Assembly could pass the compromise bill as it's written, then force Doyle to either sign the bill or veto it.
Brown said it appears the amendment idea is a result of political pressure.
Davis agrees.
"This shows that special interests are getting in the way," Davis said. "The teachers union seems to be in control of the situation."
Dustin Beilke, media relations officer of the Wisconsin Education Association Council, could not comment on the possible amendment Friday.
The bipartisan compromise bill made its way through both the Senate and Assembly education committees Jan. 29 and is expected to be taken up by the Senate on Tuesday and by the Assembly the following week.
Virtual schools allow students to learn from home under the guidance of their parents and instructors who teach over the Internet. They are popular with families who want their students to learn from home, but the schools are opposed by teachers' unions and critics who complain they drain money from traditional public schools.
The Monroe school district operates one of the 12 virtual schools in Wisconsin.
Sen. John Lehman, D-Racine, one of the co-authors of the compromise, along with Davis, said Wednesday when he toured the Monroe Virtual School that he supported the compromise legislation as it was written.
Lehman said there had been talk of an amendment to the plan that would put enrollment caps on school districts but he would prefer to see the bill passed as it was written.
Since Wednesday, there has been more talk of an enrollment cap amendment Monroe school district Superintendent Larry Brown said. And he's not happy about it.
"No one has explained to me any rational opinions as to why they need the cap," Brown said.
Brown told Lehman and Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, on Wednesday when they visited the school that an enrollment cap would make it difficult to determine how many students would be accepted to the school, because not every student who applies is accepted or goes through with their plan to attend. That could result in some students being turned away because the district mistakenly thinks it has met an enrollment cap.
Lehman's office said Friday that Gov. Jim Doyle has said he would veto the bill if an enrollment cap amendment wasn't included.
No amendment has been written or officially proposed yet.
Lehman's office said the choice appears to be to either try and work out some kind of compromise on the compromise bill, or expect a veto from Doyle.
No one from the governor's office was available to comment Friday.
Erpenbach said Friday he would support the compromise bill as written if that is what the Monroe school district supports.
"If Monroe says no (to an amendment), I'm voting no," he said.
Davis said he is disappointed at the possibility of an amendment.
"I reached out to the governor's office after the Senate (education) committee passed the plan unanimously and the Assembly (education) committee passed it by a 6-3 vote," he said.
Davis pointed out that the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction also supports the compromise legislation.
If an amendment is attached, Davis said, it will put the legislation "back to the drawing board" but he said it's difficult to comment on a possible amendment when one hasn't been written.
However, a change in the bill "would create significant challenges," he added.
Davis said if the Senate includes an enrollment cap the Assembly could strip away the amendment and send it back to the Senate. Both the Senate and Assembly could pass the compromise bill as it's written, then force Doyle to either sign the bill or veto it.
Brown said it appears the amendment idea is a result of political pressure.
Davis agrees.
"This shows that special interests are getting in the way," Davis said. "The teachers union seems to be in control of the situation."
Dustin Beilke, media relations officer of the Wisconsin Education Association Council, could not comment on the possible amendment Friday.