MacIver News Service – [Madison, Wisc…] In the quest for Race to the Top federal education dollars, Wisconsin wasn’t even close, despite what some are calling an outright lie on its application to the U.S. Department of Education.
Page 240 of Wisconsin’s recently-rejected application begins with this sentence: There is no limit in State law or regulation concerning the number of charter schools that can be authorized or the number of children who can be served by such schools in the state.
Yet, according to Wisconsin State Statutes there is a cap on open enrollment within Wisconsin’s online (otherwise known as virtual) charter schools.
WisStats118.40(8)(h)1.
1. Subject to subds. 3. and 4., beginning in the 2009-10 school year, the total number of pupils attending virtual charter schools through the open enrollment program under s. 118.51 in any school year may not exceed 5,250.
That contradiction has upset some lawmakers and has Wisconsin virtual school advocates fuming. Bill Osmulski has more from Madison, in this video report: