School Age Parents Frequently Asked Questions

Updated December 1, 2025

 

Wisconsin law defines a school age parent as any individual, inclusive of all genders, under the age of 21, who is not a high school graduate and is a parent, an expectant parent, or a person who has been pregnant within the immediately preceding 120 (calendar) days. Wis. Stat. § 115.91.

 

Wisconsin law requires public schools to make program modifications and services available to any resident school age parent that will enable the student to continue his or her education until the student graduates or turns 21. Wis. Stat. § 115.915. Any school district that is receiving state categorical aid to support its classroom and/or homebound instruction to school age parents must meet all the requirements within Wis. Admin. Code § PI 19, Education for School Age Parents (SAP). School districts must re-enroll parents under the age of 21 who are not enrolled and have not completed high school. These students are entitled to the same instruction and services provided to any other school age parent. Wisconsin law states, “No person may be denied admission to any public school or be denied participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be discriminated against, in any curricular, extracurricular, pupil services, recreational, or other program or activity because of the person’s pregnancy, marital or parental status...” Wis. Stat. § 118.13(1). Wis. Admin. Code § PI 19.03(2) requires school boards with school age parent programs to ensure the program and the written plan follow this statute.

 

Program modifications may be made to accommodate a school age parent’s pregnancy, childcare requirements, or part-time employment necessary to support his or her child. Examples of program modifications provided by school districts include, but are not limited to: a modified or shortened class schedule, preferential enrollment in classes addressing the school age parents' identified needs, for example, a family and  consumer education class on parenting, an extended school year, an additional school year, for example, a fifth year senior, and granting academic credit for correspondence or community-based classes, for example, a physical education credit for a birth preparation class.

 

Parents, students, and other interested parties, for example, the student’s physician, may request school districts provide specific programs or curricular modifications, Wis. Admin. Code § PI 19.04(1).  The school district is responsible for determining the required program modifications and services. Question 3 discusses placement alternatives.

 

Placement options may include any of the following: continuation in the regular school environment with supportive services provided by pupil services staff, attendance in an educational program designed specifically to meet the needs of the school age parent, homebound instruction, hospital instruction, and

other programs and services that are available to students identified as at-risk under Wis. Stat. § 118.153., Wis. Admin. Code § PI 19.04(3)(a)-(e).

 

No. Participation is voluntary, and the educational and service program plan must have the written consent of the student and the student’s parent/guardian, if the student is under the age of 18 years. Wis. Admin. Code § PI 19.04(5).

 

The services must include: instruction in basic skills for academic subjects, provision of social services to facilitate accessibility to needed resources, information on counseling services available in the school district and the community, provision of vocational guidance, career development, and school-to-work activities,

information on related maternal and child health support systems and resources; and instruction in the following areas; prenatal and neonatal care, child development, infant and childcare, nutrition, family planning including natural family planning, information on options available and the procedures followed in independent and agency adoptions, the impact of adoption on birth parents and children who have been adopted, and an explanation that the adoption process may be initiated even after a child has been born and has left the hospital. Wis. Admin. Code § PI 19.03(6)(a)-(f); Wis. Stat. § 115.92(1). Information to assist in adoption instruction can be obtained from the Wisconsin Adoption Information Center in Milwaukee at (800)762-8063, (414) 475-1246, info@coalitionforcyf.org, or The Wisconsin Adoption Website.

 

No. Any school district receiving categorical aid for classroom and/or homebound instruction must ensure that all school age parents enrolled in the program receive the services and instruction listed in the response to Question 7 through any of the following means: specialized instruction and services designed specifically for school age parents, existing classes and services available to students other than just school age parents, and a referral to community-based classes and services.

All services and instruction necessary to fulfill the requirements of Wis. Admin. Code § PI 19.03(6) should be documented in the student’s written individual educational and service program plan (IEP), including the individuals and organizations who will provide these services and instruction. School districts that claim categorical aid for homebound instruction to school age mothers (but not for classroom instruction to school age parents) typically make extensive use of the second two areas to comply with Wis. Admin. Code § PI 19.03(6). State categorical special education aid has specific licensing requirements.

 

Wis. Admin. Code § PI 19.04 outlines the process a school district should follow to determine what services and instruction school age parents will receive. One or more school staff members should be designated as the coordinator for school age parents and to receive any referrals. Professional employees of the school district are required to refer any student believed to be a school age parent. Permission for the referral must be obtained from the student, or a minor student’s parent/guardian. A meeting including the following people must be convened to determine the student’s educational and service program plan: the school age parent program coordinator, the student, the parent(s) or guardian(s) if the student is a minor, the licensed instructional or other staff, and pupil services staff. These individuals should have the expertise to discuss the student’s current educational program and program modifications for the services and instruction outlined in Question 7, and to accommodate the pupil’s pregnancy, childcare, and any part-time employment necessary to support the child. The educational and service program plan must have the written consent of the student and the student’s parents if the student is a minor or is not emancipated or married. Plans should be developed for both school-age mothers and fathers.

 

Married minors in Wisconsin are emancipated from their parents. Wis. Stat. § 54.46(6).  The student's written approval is sufficient for the educational and service program plan if the student is 18 years old or married. The approval of the parent or spouse is not required. Wis. Admin. Code § PI 19.04(5).

 

There are no specific processes outlined in statute or administrative rule for resolving disagreements between schools, school age parents and their parents/guardians about the student’s educational and service program plan, either on a local or a state level. All attempts should be made to reconcile differences by examining options that are acceptable to all parties. The school district is responsible for determining the appropriate program modifications and services required.

 

State categorical aid is available to offset the staff and transportation costs of specialized instruction to school age parents. Wis. Stat. § 115.93. Specialized instruction includes classes designed specifically for school age parents and homebound instruction (with a physician’s recommendation) for school-age mothers during the period they are unable to attend school-based classes. Aided eligible costs include teachers, instructional aides, and pupil services staff providing specialized instruction. Aides for home study programs are ineligible costs. Wis. Admin. Code § PI 19.06(1). Eligible special transportation costs include mileage for homebound teachers or any special costs for transporting a school age parent to a program in another school district, may also be claimed. Wis. Admin. Code § PI 19.05.

Tuition paid to another school district for attendance of a school age parent in a specialized program is not aid eligible for the district paying the tuition. However, the district providing the instruction to the school age parent can claim these associated costs and should pass any resulting savings to the school age parent’s home school district through reduced tuition. Materials, equipment, rental, childcare, and the staff time devoted to non-instructional activities are not eligible for reimbursement. See Tuition/Purchased Services and Aid Transits for additional information and examples.

 

The level of reimbursement varies slightly from year to year, depending upon the total claims received. Wis. Stat. § 115.93; Wis. Admin. Code§ PI 19.05. Most recently, reimbursement levels have been 25-35%.

 

School district auditors’ review any claimed expenditures as part of the Special Education and School Age Parent program fiscal audit. Eligible costs for properly licensed staff and transportation are reported in WISEdata Finance. Please subscribe to the School Finance Bulletin for important updates and notifications.

 

There is no separate certification through the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) for school age parent teachers. However, for a school district to claim categorical aid for specialized instruction to school age parents, professional staff, both teachers and pupil services staff alike, must have at least nine (9) credits in one or more of the following areas: infant and childcare, nutrition, fetal development, early childhood, child or adolescent development, maternal health and childcare, adolescent psychology, family relationships.

Wis. Admin. Code § PI 19.03(4)(a)(h). Instructional aides' homebound certification and credits are not required for home-bound instruction. Only certified teachers may provide homebound instruction. The additional credits above are not required for homebound teachers if they are providing instruction in basic subject areas only, e.g., social studies, English, math, science. Wis. Admin. Code 19.03(4).

 

Yes. School districts with school age parent programs are required to maintain a written plan which includes a description of the program’s goals and objectives, staffing, implementation procedures, and local means of evaluating the program. Wis. Admin. Code § PI 19.03(2). School districts are required to annually evaluate their school age parent program for the purposes of determining the effectiveness of the program and the need for modifications to the program. The evaluation must examine the extent the stated goals and objectives of the program were met, the students in the program demonstrated satisfactory progress in basic skills acquisition, and any progress toward high school graduation. The school district must indicate the students in the program demonstrated a basic knowledge of maternal health practices, the acquisition of childcare techniques, and family planning. School age parents’ educational and service program plans should be treated as behavioral records as defined in Wis. Stat. § 118.125. The School Financial Services Consultant may verify these resources annually to ensure compliance.

 

Homebound instruction may be provided at any time during the pregnancy and in the 120 (calendar) days immediately following the pregnancy. Wis. Admin. Code § PI 19.04(3)(c). There is no minimum number of days. The school district should obtain a physician’s statement documenting the need for homebound instruction and the anticipated period it is necessary for the student to be homebound. School districts should avoid providing a standard period that may be inconsistent with the student’s individual needs.

 

No. School districts are not required to provide homebound instruction despite a physician’s recommendation if it has sufficient cause to believe the student can attend school. For instance, if a pregnant student has a job and is working evenings, it is reasonable to assume the student has the physical capacity to attend school even if the school has received a written statement from a physician to the contrary. When the school has a clear and substantial reason to believe that physician-recommended homebound instruction is not justified, the school should contact the student, her family, and her physician to explain the school’s position.

An opportunity for the physician to provide additional documentation why homebound instruction is necessary may be requested. Written permission to contact the physician must be obtained from the student or the student’s parent or guardian if the student is a minor.

 

Yes. A pregnant student or one who has recently given birth may attend school part-time but not full-time pre or post-partum. The student’s written plan may be revised as their physical condition changes, allowing the transition from on-site instruction to remote and back to on-site instruction. Some classes are harder than others to continue and replicate through homebound instruction. This is a consideration when the educational and service program plan is developed. The plan should outline what program modifications are necessary. Wis. Admin. Code § PI 19.04(5).

 

Yes, however, the school district would not be eligible to claim categorical aid for the costs of the homebound instruction for more than 120 calendar days after birth. Wis. Admin. Code § PI 19.04(3)(c). It is recommended the school-age mother, her family and the school take proactive steps to arrange childcare well before it is time for the student to return to school to help ensure a smooth transition back into school-based instruction. See response to Question 22 for additional information.

 

No. Wis. Stat. § 118.15(1)(a) requires school attendance of any school-age individuals and parents up until age 18 years. Wis. Stat. § 118.15(1)(d) allows parents to request program or curricular modifications for their children but does not require the school district to grant the request. School districts must make program modifications available to any school age parents that will allow the student to continue his or her education. Wis. Stat. § 115.915. School districts, school age parents and their families should make childcare arrangements prior to the student's scheduled return to school after birth. The school’s program modifications to the childcare arrangements must be documented in the written educational and service program plan.

 

Yes. Resources are available through the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, including information about Wisconsin Shares, a program that supports low-income working families by subsidizing a portion of the cost of quality childcare, and YoungStar, Wisconsin's childcare quality rating and improvement system, a helpful tool that assists families in finding licensed quality childcare in their area. Supportive parenting programs like Nurse-Family Partnership or Early Head Start are available. These provide intensive comprehensive child development and family support services to infants and toddlers and their families, and to pregnant women and their families.

 

Schools may contact local organizations to create their own list of available services. Assistance is available through private, nonprofit organizations, hospitals and clinics. The United Way 2-1-1 telephone and online referral service has listings of service providers for pregnant and parenting teens. A county public health department, private clinics, physician’s offices, and hospitals may provide a public health nurse, prenatal care, immunizations for infants and children, birth preparation classes, and local adoption agencies. Additional information is available on the DPI website.

 

Any school professional, who through the course of her/his professional duties, has reason to believe that a student under the age of 18 years has had sexual contact or sexual intercourse with another person and has reason to doubt the student’s participation in the sexual contact is voluntary, should immediately contact the county CPS agency or local law enforcement agency. State statutes regarding the mandatory reporting of sexually active adolescents are complex with different directions dependent upon the nature of the sexual contact, age of the adolescent, and access to health care services. 

 

Additional information and resources can be found on the DPI web pages for School Age Parents.

 

The WISEstaff Fall Staff Report (formerly PI 1202) is due annually each November with information for the current school year. School district auditors’ review claimed expenditures as part of the Special Education and School Age Parent program fiscal audit. The report uses a two-digit position code followed by a four-digit assignment code. Any staff assigned to school age parent instruction, either part- or full-time at the time the Fall Staff Report is generated, should be reflected in the report.

Applicable codes for school staff that can be used for instruction to school age parents are:

Aid eligible costs for properly licensed staff and transportation are reported in WISEdata Finance. Utilize Function 174 100 for school age parent classroom and Function 174 200 for school age parent homebound. For More Information Contact: Student Services Prevention and Wellness, 608-266-8960 The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction does not discriminate based on sex, race, color, religion, creed, age, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, marital status or parental status, sexual orientation, or disability. Any anticipated aid eligible costs on the budget report will prompt a question asking how many school age parents the school district anticipates serving that year. 

Department of Public Instruction Chapter PI 19 - Education for School Age Parents:

Wisconsin Statutes

Information about timelines and due dates is outlined on the DPI webpage at Calendar and Due Dates.

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