By Scott Bauer
Associated Press
MADISON - Gov. Scott Walker said during his re-election campaign that he wanted to grow Wiscon-sin's statewide voucher program incrementally, but since his victory last month, he has not said whether that's still the plan or if he will eliminate the enrollment caps all at once.
Walker, when asked Wednesday about the outlook for vouchers, didn't say whether he would do away with the 1,000-student cap immediately or over time. He said details of his approach would come in his budget being released early next year.
"We'll have to look at where we think there's capacity in the state," Walker said. "Some places are better suited than others."
His spokeswoman also declined to offer specifics on Thursday, saying only that Walker was considering his options.
The voucher program makes taxpayer subsidies available to pay for the private-school education of students who meet income qualifications. Supporters, who have spent millions supporting Walker and his fellow Republicans, say the program lets parents choose the best schools for their children, whether public or private. But opponents - including Democrats and public school advocates - argue that it chips away at public school funding and is part of a broader agenda to defund public education.
Wisconsin's program began 25 years ago as a possible solution to badly failing schools in Milwaukee, where about 27,000 students are currently using vouchers. It was extended to Racine, where another 1,700 students currently participate, for the same reason. Another 1,000 students participate in the statewide program.
There are no enrollment caps for students in Milwaukee and Racine. But the statewide one, which Walker and the Legislature created two years ago, started with a 500-student lid that is now capped at 1,000.
Walker and the Republican-controlled Legislature want to eliminate the statewide cap, but they haven't detailed how or when. About 2,400 students applied in the first year of the statewide voucher program, and 3,400 applied this year.
Jim Bender, president of School Choice Wisconsin, which represents private schools participating in the voucher program, said his group would be thrilled if the statewide enrollment caps were immediately eliminated. He said many more students would apply if the program substantially expands. He said almost all private schools have room for voucher students, so the limiting factor is how many students participating schools want to take.
In November, Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said he could see the enrollment in Wisconsin's statewide private school voucher program increasing to 9,000 students, but he didn't know how quickly expansion would happen. He based that number on how many students in Indiana applied for that state's program in its second year, said his spokeswoman Myranda Tanck.
It would cost at least $64.8 million to add 9,000 elementary school students to Wisconsin's program.
Qualifying students in grades K-8 can get a voucher worth up to $7,210 annually, while the voucher for high school students is worth $7,856 a year.
To qualify, a single parent with three children can earn up to $44,177 per year. For a married couple with two children, the cutoff is $51,177 annually. Once in the program, families no longer need to meet the income requirements.
Associated Press
MADISON - Gov. Scott Walker said during his re-election campaign that he wanted to grow Wiscon-sin's statewide voucher program incrementally, but since his victory last month, he has not said whether that's still the plan or if he will eliminate the enrollment caps all at once.
Walker, when asked Wednesday about the outlook for vouchers, didn't say whether he would do away with the 1,000-student cap immediately or over time. He said details of his approach would come in his budget being released early next year.
"We'll have to look at where we think there's capacity in the state," Walker said. "Some places are better suited than others."
His spokeswoman also declined to offer specifics on Thursday, saying only that Walker was considering his options.
The voucher program makes taxpayer subsidies available to pay for the private-school education of students who meet income qualifications. Supporters, who have spent millions supporting Walker and his fellow Republicans, say the program lets parents choose the best schools for their children, whether public or private. But opponents - including Democrats and public school advocates - argue that it chips away at public school funding and is part of a broader agenda to defund public education.
Wisconsin's program began 25 years ago as a possible solution to badly failing schools in Milwaukee, where about 27,000 students are currently using vouchers. It was extended to Racine, where another 1,700 students currently participate, for the same reason. Another 1,000 students participate in the statewide program.
There are no enrollment caps for students in Milwaukee and Racine. But the statewide one, which Walker and the Legislature created two years ago, started with a 500-student lid that is now capped at 1,000.
Walker and the Republican-controlled Legislature want to eliminate the statewide cap, but they haven't detailed how or when. About 2,400 students applied in the first year of the statewide voucher program, and 3,400 applied this year.
Jim Bender, president of School Choice Wisconsin, which represents private schools participating in the voucher program, said his group would be thrilled if the statewide enrollment caps were immediately eliminated. He said many more students would apply if the program substantially expands. He said almost all private schools have room for voucher students, so the limiting factor is how many students participating schools want to take.
In November, Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said he could see the enrollment in Wisconsin's statewide private school voucher program increasing to 9,000 students, but he didn't know how quickly expansion would happen. He based that number on how many students in Indiana applied for that state's program in its second year, said his spokeswoman Myranda Tanck.
It would cost at least $64.8 million to add 9,000 elementary school students to Wisconsin's program.
Qualifying students in grades K-8 can get a voucher worth up to $7,210 annually, while the voucher for high school students is worth $7,856 a year.
To qualify, a single parent with three children can earn up to $44,177 per year. For a married couple with two children, the cutoff is $51,177 annually. Once in the program, families no longer need to meet the income requirements.