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Independent (2r or 2x) Charter Schools

What is an Independent Charter School?

Independent charter schools ("ICS"), sometimes referred to as 2r or 2x charter schools, are charter schools that are not authorized by a public school district. Each of the following have authority to authorize a charter school in Wisconsin:

The common council of the city of Milwaukee
The chancellor of any institution in the Universities of Wisconsin (UW System)
Each technical college district board
Waukesha County Executive
College of Menominee Nation
Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University
Universities of Wisconsin Office of Educational Opportunity 

ICS Authorizer Contact Information

What do we mean when we say "2r & 2x" and "Legacy & New" Independent Charter Schools?
The terms "2r" or "2x" refer to the section of the charter school law within s. 118.40 that grants these entities authority to authorize charter schools. Independent charter schools may also be referred to as legacy or new independent charter schools. Legacy schools are schools chartered by authorizers who had the authority prior to 2015 Act 55 (UW-Milwaukee, the City of Milwaukee, UW-Parkside, and the Milwaukee Area Technical College), and new independent charter schools are those chartered by an authorizer who received authority to authorize in or after 2015 Act 55 (Waukesha County Executive, College of Menominee Nation, Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University, Office of Educational Opportunity, any UW Chancellor (other than UW-Milwaukee and UW-Parkside), and any technical college district board (except MATC).

Legacy schools recieve funding from general purpose revenue. New independent charter schools are funded by a deduct from the student's resident district. You may find preliminary, non-audited Third Friday in September resident district deduct data here, by scrolling to the bottom of the webpage and selecting New Independent Carter Schools Impacts.

Additional Information
Under Wis. Stat. § 118.40(4)(ag), no more than a minority of the governing board's members may be employees of the charter school or employees or officers of the school district in which the charter school is located”. Therefore, no more than a minority of the governing board could be filled by employees or officers of the school district they are physically located in.

State law prohibits independent authorizers from authorizing a virtual charter school.

For more in-depth information on independent charter schools see: Wisconsin Legislature Chapter 118.40 quick reference or Wis. Stats. Chapter 118.40(2r) and (2x).

Independent Charter School Payment Amount

In the 2023-2024 academic year, Independent Charter Schools will receive $11,385 as the per pupil payment. In the 2024-2025 academic year, Independent Charter Schools will receive $11,729 as the per pupil payment.

Independent Charter Schools Waivers & Due Date Changes:

Pursuant to the authority granted to the DPI in 2019 Wisconsin Act 185, the DPI has submitted the following memos to the Legislative Reference Bureau required under s. 118.38(4)(b)1., Stats., of waivers the DPI is providing under s. 118.38(4)(a)1., Stats., and alternative deadlines established under s. 118.38(4)(a)2., Stats.

Authorizer Requirements: 

Per Wis. Stat. 118.40(1), all independent authorizers shall notify the state superintendent of their intention to establish a charter school by February 1 of the school year preceding the opening of the charter school. Independent authorizers and limits, if any, on school location and pupil residency are listed below:

Independent Charter School (ICS) Authorizers

School Location

Pupil Residency

Number of Charter Schools

Legacy ICS Authorizers:

 

 

 

City of Milwaukee (2r)

Statewide

Statewide

Unlimited

UW-Milwaukee (2r)

Statewide

Statewide

Unlimited

UW-Parkside (2r)

Statewide

Statewide

Unlimited

Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) (2r)

Statewide

Statewide

Unlimited

New ICS Authorizers
(2015 Wis. Act 55 and 2017 Wis. Act 59):

 

 

 

Waukesha County Executive (2r)

Waukesha County

Statewide

Unlimited

College of Menominee Nation (2r)

Statewide

Statewide

No more than six schools between the College of Menominee Nation and the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University.

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University (2r)

Statewide

Statewide

Office of Educational Opportunity (OEO UW System) (2x)

 

OEO Recovery Charter School

      

Statewide

 

Statewide

Statewide

 

Statewide

Unlimited

 

One school with no more than 15 students

Any UW Chancellor (other than UW-Milwaukee
and UW-Parkside) (2r)

Statewide

Statewide

Unlimited

Any Technical College District Board (except MATC) (2r)(Gateway Technical College District Board added in 2015 Wis. Act 55)

Statewide

Statewide

Unlimited

Independent Charter School Audit Information 

Independent Charter School Membership Information

List of Independent Charter Schools

Independent Charter Schools Program Calendar