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School Choice Expansion and Independent Charter School Fiscal Impacts

Private School Choice Programs

The Private School Choice Programs include four separate private school voucher programs:

  • Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP)
  • Racine Parental Choice Program (RPCP)
  • Wisconsin Parental Choice Program (WPCP)
  • Special Needs Scholarship Program (SNSP)

The Department is unable to provide information on what specific students are participating in the Private School Choice Programs and/or the schools that the students attend. Private schools participating in the programs receive a state aid payment for each eligible student on behalf of the student’s parent or guardian.

Program resources, including participating FTE and aid payments by district, are linked below.

WPCP/RPCP Funding (beginning in 2015-16)

The funding for private school choice students enrolled in the WPCP/RPCP in 2015-16 or thereafter worked as follows:

  • resident school district pays for WPCP/RPCP students through a reduction in its state general aids;
  • WPCP/RPCP students are counted in their resident district’s membership for state general aid purposes in the following year; and
  • in 2015-16 and 2016-17, the total number of pupils residing in the district who could participate in the choice program from each district was limited to no more than one percent of the district’s prior year membership. Beginning in the 2017-18 school year, the enrollment limit will increase by one percentage point in each year until the enrollment limit reaches 10 percent of the district’s prior year enrollment (2025-26). Beginning in 2026-27, no student enrollment limit would apply.

WPCP/RPCP Funding (prior to 2015-16)

The funding for private school choice students enrolled in the WPCP/RPCP prior to 2015-16 worked as follows:

  • vouchers paid with state GPR funding until the student exits the private school choice program; and
  • students are not counted in a school district’s membership for state general aid or revenue limit purposes.

Summary Table -- School Enrollment and Estimated Payment (MPCP, RPCP, WPCP and SNSP)

A summary table is available on the DPI Parental Education Options (PEO) Private School Choice Programs: Data and Reports page:

  • participating private schools;
  • the number of participating students (enrollment and FTE) by program (MPCP, RPCP, WPCP and SNSP) and by private school;
  • estimated total annual payment received by the private school; and
  • total number of students receiving a state funded voucher (the four programs combined) and the percentage of total private school student enrollment.

School Finance Resources

Parental Education Options Resources