Report: Less Than Half of Wisconsin Parents Satisfied With Their Kids’ School

Wisconsin’s schools are getting a failing grade from parents in the state.

A new report from the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty and the education reform group 50CAN says less than half of parents are satisfied with their children’s schools.

“Only 44% of Wisconsin parents are very satisfied with their child’s school,” the report notes. “This is very close to the national average [of] 45%.”

But the report adds that about two-thirds of parents say they would make the same choice and send their kids to the same school again.

WILL and 50CAN say the new report shows the disconnect between what parents think about their children’s schools, and the reality.

The survey covers everything from school satisfaction, to school budgeting, to college and career readiness.

“We are hopeful that this survey will help paint a clear picture of parental perspectives on education, and ultimately provide policymakers with valuable insights into how the state excels and where improvements are needed, especially in relation to our peers,” WILL’s Rick Esenberg wrote in the report.

Parents, according to the survey, don’t think their children’s schools are preparing their kids.

“Only 30% of parents feel extremely confident that their children are being prepared for the workforce, while only 26% are extremely confident their child will be ready for college,” the report notes. “Parents overestimate how well their children are doing in school. 43% of parents say that their child is ‘above grade level’ in math, and 45% say the same in reading. However, according to state testing data, only 8.1% of students were rated as Advanced in English, and only 9.5% were in math.”

Interestingly enough, those numbers remained similar when researchers asked both low income, and middle and high income parents.

The report does have good news for school choice in Wisconsin.

While less than half of parents say they are satisfied with their kids’ schools, nearly 70% of parents say they feel they have a choice in where they send their kids to school.

The report, however, shows a huge gulf in what parents know or believe about school finances, and what the reality is.

“Most parents significantly underestimate what we are spending per student,” the report notes. “61% of parents estimate that Wisconsin spends less than $15,000 per student, with 49% believing we spend less than $10,000 per student. In reality, the average district now spends $17,908 between state, local, and federal funds. No district spends less than $12,415.”

“The takeaway from our survey is simple: Parents want more information, but it needs to be relevant and easy to understand,” 50Can CEO Marc Porter Magee said. “Our organization is willing to partner to bring greater transparency to academic achievement. It’s critical that Wisconsin policy makers take a serious look at our findings and work to address the information gap.”