Remember when Gov. Evers proposed a $2B increase to education spending? Don’t worry, state Republicans do but they are only going to give that budget idea a passing grade if it includes universal school choice.
Here’s Five Fast Facts on the Wisconsin School Choice Proposal:
- 🏫 Tit For Tat - Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has said he agrees with Evers’ proposal, but he wants Universal School Choice passed as a state law as condition for that approval. He thinks any Wisconsinite, regardless of income level, should receive taxpayer-funded vouchers for private schools.
- 🎒 Try, Try Again - We’ve been here before. State Republicans passed a Universal School Choice bill earlier this year but Evers quickly vetoed the bill saying it would take funds away from public schools in need, raise taxes, and hurt enrollment.
- 🚌 Origins - A version of School Choice has existed in Milwaukee since 1990. It allows families making 175% below the federal poverty level to send their kids to private schools. That’s less than 1% of all students in the Milwaukee Public School System, btw.
- 🧑🏫 Moving Goalposts - In the years since, Republicans have created two more programs, one for Racine and one statewide. Those programs allow families who make up to 300% above the poverty line to be eligible for vouchers.
- 📓 And Another Thing… - Vos has also suggested abandoning the state’s current open enrollment law that allows districts to approve or deny non-resident applications.
🔥Bottom line: This is another version of the whole “parents should have a say in education” aspect of the culture wars that’s been swirling around the past few years. Education impacts everyone’s Paycheck and these issues will make 2023 an interesting year of Wisconsin Political Bloodsports!
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