Department will hold public hearing on proposed rules related to Parental Choice and Special Needs Scholarship programs

MADISON — The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction will hold an administrative rules hearing to accept public testimony on a proposed permanent rule relating to Parental Choice and Special Needs Scholarship programs’ offsetting revenue, statements of actual cost, and affecting small business.

 

The proposed rules, Clearinghouse Rule 21-046 and Emergency Rule 2117, amends Wis. Admin. Code Chs. PI 35, 48, and 49 to provide that loans under the Paycheck Protection Program, which are forgiven by the federal government, are not offsetting revenue in the financial audit supplemental schedule for any of the state’s Parental Choice Programs or the Special Needs Scholarship Program.

 

Schools participating in the Special Needs Scholarship Program have the option to submit a statement of actual costs that specifies the special education expenses the school incurred for educating a Special Needs Scholarship Program pupil in the prior school year. If a school submits a statement of actual costs for a pupil, the payment amount for that pupil in the subsequent school year is based on the actual costs for the pupil in the statement. The proposed rules specify that if an amount included in a Special Needs Scholarship Program statement of actual costs is part of a forgiven PPP loan, and the amount is forgiven on or before October 15th following the school year, the costs in the statement of actual costs must be reduced by the forgiven amount. The proposed rules also specify that any adjustments due to forgiven PPP loans will be paid back through the Enrollment Audit certification process. Finally, the proposed rules indicate that the payment amount for an actual cost pupil will not be below the Special Needs Scholarship Program payment rate for a pupil that did not submit a statement of actual costs.

 

The DPI will hold the public hearing by teleconference only. Additional information on attending is provided below. Written comments received no later than the date of the hearing will be given the same consideration as testimony presented at the hearing.

 

A copy of the proposed rule is available on the department's Administrative Rules webpage or the Wisconsin Legislature Rules site. Written comments may be submitted in lieu of testimony online via the legislature’s webpage for submitting public comment. Questions or additional testimony may be sent by email to the department’s administrative rules coordinator.

 

WHAT: Administrative rules hearing

WHEN: 11 a.m. on Monday, July 26, 2021

WHERE: Conference call only; Phone number: 608-620-9781; Conference ID: 229 531 629#