ERIC Number: ED566679
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Apr
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Number of Voucher Schools Relatively Unchanged since 2003 While Enrollment Has Doubled. Research Brief. Volume 102, Number 1
Public Policy Forum
Milwaukee's Parental Choice Program (MPCP) includes 110 schools today, having experienced both exits and entrants from its roster of 111 schools in the past decade. According to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), fall 2013 voucher enrollment was 25,820 students, about double the 13,268 enrolled in 2003-2004. Thus, while the number of voucher schools is relatively unchanged, the number of voucher students has grown at an annual rate of 6.9% each year over the decade, including a 4% bump from the 2012-13 to the 2013-14 school year. As reported in previous Public Policy Forum MPCP briefs, several legislative changes adopted as part of the 2011-13 Wisconsin State Budget paved the way for growth in the use of vouchers and for new schools to begin accepting voucher students. For example, the income threshold for voucher eligibility was raised from 150% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) to 300%. Because the FPL for a family of four in 2013 was $23,500, a family of four earning up to $70,500 met the threshold, making nearly 60% of families in the city of Milwaukee eligible for a voucher in 2013. In addition, the voucher participation cap set at 22,500 students in 2005 was removed, and schools outside the City of Milwaukee were allowed to participate in the MPCP.
Descriptors: Educational Vouchers, Enrollment Trends, Public Schools, Urban Schools, School Choice, Student Mobility, School Segregation, Academic Achievement, Standardized Tests, Elementary Secondary Education, Scores, Private Schools, Institutional Characteristics
Public Policy Forum. 633 West Wisconsin Avenue Suite 406, Milwaukee, WI 53203. Tel: 414-276-8240; Fax: 414-276-9962; e-mail: forum@publicpolicyforum.org; Web site: http://www.publicpolicyforum.org
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Argosy Foundation
Authoring Institution: Public Policy Forum
Identifiers - Location: Wisconsin; Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A