Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle has signed a bill that ensures virtual schools qualify for state aid; however, it caps enrollment and subjects those schools to a program audit. The new law guarantees the online schools can open this fall. Their future was in doubt after an appeals court ruled in December that one school--the Wisconsin Virtual Academy run by the Northern Ozaukee School District--did not qualify for state aid of $5,845 per student. The governor says the legislation is a compromise that allows the schools to continue while the effect of the virtual school system on students and taxpayers is studied.
Click here to read The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article.
FROM MARCH 2008: Lawmakers in Wisconsin have crafted a deal that they hope will enable the state's virtual schools to remain open in the fall. An appeals court ruled in December that the Wisconsin Virtual Academy run by the Northern Ozaukee School District was not eligible for state aid. Observers worried that the decision could threaten the future of all Wisconsin online schools, which teach about 3,500 students. Sen. John Lehman (D-Racine) and Rep. Brett Davis (R-Oregon) say they have made a deal to cap enrollment at 5,250 students--a deal they said could get through both houses.
Click here to read The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel article.
