Gov. James E. Doyle of Wisconsin has proposed a package of education changes that includes a plan to raise the cap on the number of Milwaukee students who can participate in that city’s state-sponsored school voucher program.
Under the Democratic governor’s plan, which needs the approval of the legislature, the current cap of 15 percent of the Milwaukee school district’s total enrollment would be raised to 18 percent.
Recently, the state education department told private schools in Milwaukee to stop enrolling students in the voucher program because enrollment in it was nearing the 15 percent cap, or 14,751 full-time slots. The vouchers are worth about $6,000 per student.
Gov. Doyle also wants students who use the vouchers to take state exams in grades 3-8 and 10th grade so that parents could compare scores. He would also increase funding to school districts by $25 million statewide to promote class-size reduction in kindergarten through 3rd grade.