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Parental Education Options

The Parental Education Options Team provides technical assistance to school districts, schools, families, and the public in the option areas listed on this page.  For more information about any of the education options, please use the links below.

For an overview of the education options in Wisconsin, please see the Educational Options in Wisconsin resource.

For information on how some of the education options in Wisconsin are funded, please see the Parental Choice Options resources. 

School housePublic School Options

  • Charter Schools - Charter schools are public, nonsectarian schools created through a business-like contract or "charter" between the charter governance board and the sponsoring school board or other chartering authority. The Wisconsin charter school law gives charter schools freedom from most state rules and regulations in exchange for greater accountability for results. The charter defines the missions and methods of the charter school. The chartering authority holds the school accountable to its charter. The charter school motto is "Autonomy for Accountability."
  • Public School Open Enrollment - The inter-district public school open enrollment program allows parents to apply for their children to attend public school in a school district other than the one in which they reside.

private school buildingPrivate School Options

  • Private School Choice Programs - 

    The Private School Choice Programs include the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP), the Racine Parental Choice Program (RPCP) and the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program or statewide program (WPCP). Schools participating in the program receive a state aid payment for each eligible student on behalf of the student’s parent or guardian. 

    Determination of which program a student may be eligible for is based on where in Wisconsin a student resides. Student eligibility, which is established by state law, varies for each program. 

  • Special Needs Scholarship Program  - The Special Needs Scholarship Program (SNSP) allows a student with a disability, who meets certain eligibility requirements, to receive a state-funded scholarship to attend a participating private school. 
  • Private School Information -  A private school provides a private or a religious-based education program.  A private school must provide at least 875 hours of instruction each school year and a sequentially progressive curriculum of fundamental instruction in reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, and health, as well as meet other applicable requirements in state law. 

houseHome-Based Private Education Program

  • Home-Based Private Education Program (Homeschooling) - If a child is homeschooled, the child's parent or guardian, or a person designated by the parent or guardian, provides the child's educational instruction. If this option is chosen, the parent or guardian is required to complete the online PI-1206 Homeschool Enrollment Report (HOMER) each school year the child is homeschooled.