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Democrats in Wisconsin continue to target choice schools with new proposed rules.
The latest came Tuesday from Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, that would require voucher schools in the state to follow Wisconsin’s open meeting rules.
"Open meetings and public records - these are hallmarks of transparency and accountability that we have come to expect from our government. So why are taxpayer-funded voucher schools not subject to either of these things? Good question!" Larson wrote on X. "With over $700 million in tax revenue going toward private schools every year, this is the bare minimum we should expect in return."
Wisconsin’s open meeting rules apply to public bodies, like public schools and local governments. Private schools or religious schools, since their leaders are not elected, are not covered by things like meeting notices, and FOIA requests.
Larson, who has long been an opponent of school choice, said private schools should be covered by public open meeting laws because those schools get public dollars.
"Shifting millions upon millions of public funds away from public schools into private institutions with no open meetings, no open records, and limited transparency goes against our state’s proud tradition of effective, transparent governance. No other government program functions like this – and for good reason," Larson added. “The legislation offered today pulls back the curtains on Wisconsin’s voucher programs by mandating operators follow open records and open meetings laws, and requiring annual recertification of income eligibility for program participants."
Wisconsin currently tracks voucher spending, meaning people already know how many public dollars are going to private schools. However, the state does not track spending on the local level.
Larson said he and other Democrats in Madison plan to introduce more pieces of legislation that focus on school choice and voucher schools in the coming weeks.
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