Enrollment surges in state’s three voucher programs

Wisconsin taxpayers will spend $302 million this year on vouchers to send children to private schools, up $33 million over last year, most of that increase driven by a surge in enrollment among students living outside Milwaukee and Racine.

Overall, 39,381 students received vouchers to attend one of 279 private schools this year in the state’s three parental choice programs: Milwaukee, Racine and Wisconsin.

Enrollment in the Milwaukee voucher program, the nation’s oldest, rose by 521 students, to 28,917 students, or 1.8 percent, contributing to the overall decline in Milwaukee Public Schools, which fell by 440 students, or 0.6 percent this year.

School choice advocates say the data confirm what they have argued since the inception of Wisconsin’s voucher programs: that parents want options and flexibility in the education of their children.

“It’s making a difference in a lot of families’ lives,” said Jim Bender, president of School Choice Wisconsin.

But their public school counterparts argue that that comes at a price, as the cost of the vouchers for students enrolled since 2015-’16 — at least in the Racine and statewide programs — gets passed on to local school districts, many, in turn, raise their local property tax levies to offset those losses.

“Last year, $42.8 million in aid was deducted from public schools for the Wisconsin and Racine programs. And this year, that’s grown to $68.3 million,” said Dan Rossmiller, government relations director for the Wisconsin Association of School Boards. “The school board has a choice then, to essentially cut programs or raise property taxes.”

Voucher schools are paid $7,754 per student in kindergarten through eighth grade and $8,400 for high schoolers.

The voucher program was intended initially to serve low-income minority students in Milwaukee. But that mission has broadened significantly as the program spread, first to Racine and then to communities elsewhere in the state.

This year’s increase in enrollment was driven largely by the statewide program, which saw a surge both in the number of schools and students enrolled. This year, 213 schools are participating, up from 154, and the num-

ber of students increased 57 percent to 7,140.

Bender said the increase was expected as lawmakers raised the income cap, new schools joined the program and existing schools added seats.

The Racine program rose by 10.7 percent to 3,324 students. Milwaukee’s is by far the largest of state voucher programs, serving nearly 29,000 students in 129 schools at a cost to taxpayers of $221.8 million.

DPI does not release enrollment data for public schools until the spring. However, MPS projected its declines in a summary outlining adjustments to its 2018-’19 budget, which board members are expected to finalize in November.

MPS funds its schools on a per-pupil basis. As a result, the traditional and MPS-run charter schools will see a $750,260 cut in funding this year because of their enrollment declines.