Private School Eligibility Key Sticking Point In Education Budget

As the state budget stalemate continues, Wisconsin lawmakers seem to agree on a big increase in state public school aid for the next two years. But they don’t agree on family income limits for the voucher programs that let low to middle income kids go to private schools at taxpayer expense. Right now, only families at less than 185-percent of the federal poverty level can be in a private school choice program — but Senate Republicans want to raise that 220-percent, while Assembly Speaker Robin Vos favors 300-percent for a family income limit of 74-thousand dollars a year. Also, the Senate G-O-P plan unveiled last week would cut virtually all of the 20-million dollars in “sparsity aid” to cover the higher costs of rural school districts. But the Senate package also includes 740-million dollars more in general state aid to Wisconsin schools — less than what Governor Scott Walker wanted but more than what state Superintendent Tony Evers sought.