School Choice & Charters

Wisconsin School Voucher Program About to Hit 30,000 Student Mark

By Arianna Prothero — December 09, 2014 1 min read
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The number of Wisconsin students using school vouchers is about to hit the 30,000 mark, according to the Journal Sentinel newspaper. Vouchers allow qualifying students, often those from low-income families, to use state money toward tuition at a private school of their choice.

The paper cites a head count conducted by the state in September, which put the official number of students in Wisconsin’s three programs, one statewide, one in Racine and one in Milwaukee, at 29,683.

Milwaukee’s program turned 25 this year, and is often cited as the oldest voucher program in the country.

The Journal Sentinel says the voucher program has grown rapidly under Governor Scott Walker, who said after winning reelection this fall that he is considering expanding the program even further.

Wisconsin isn’t the only state about to join the 30,000 club. Indiana is also on the cusp after the number of schoolchildren using vouchers in that state jumped by about 10,000 this year after the state expanded eligibility for the program.

Related: Wisconsin Sunk $139 Million Into Private Schools Booted From Voucher Program

Related: Q&A With Howard Fuller on ‘The Mother of School Choice,’ Annette Polly Williams

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A version of this news article first appeared in the Charters & Choice blog.