Wisconsin Senate approves more oversight for new voucher schools

Erin Richards:

During an active Senate session on Tuesday, lawmakers passed a bill that would make it harder for new private and religious schools to join Wisconsin’s taxpayer-funded school voucher programs.
 
 To become law, a similar bill still has to pass the Assembly, which supporters expect could happen as soon as next week. The measure has bipartisan support.
 
 The bill changes the timeline and requirements for new private schools to get accepted to receive taxpayer money to educate students. For more than 20 years, private schools in Milwaukee could be approved to enter the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program with minimal paperwork, which opened the door for many financially unstable and poorly run programs – such as LifeSkills Academy – to receive taxpayer support.