An area Democrat is looking to make Wisconsin’s Voucher Program more accountable.
Two bills authored by 26th District Representative Joe Sheehan would address funding for public and voucher schools, as well as students who transfer out of private schools.
The first bill would require equal payments in the state’s budget cycle to both voucher programs and public schools, with the Sheboygan Democrat saying, “public schools deserve to be on equal footing with voucher schools, and parity in funding is a big step towards fairness.”
Assembly Bill 570 would require the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to pay the remaining amount due to private schools if a student decides to move from a private school to a public school district until the end of the year.
However, the student must be in a parental choice program, the Special Needs Scholarship Program, or an independent charter school, and later enroll in a public school district.
Rep. Sheehan says he’s proud of the work his colleagues have done on the bill package and hopes to see it brought to committee for a hearing.
Republicans control the state legislature in the Assembly and Senate, so it’s not clear if the bills will make it out of a committee.
