WILL Charts A New Course For WI Charter Schools
The News: The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) released a new report, “Charting A New Course: Improving The Charter School Sector in Wisconsin.” The report is the second in WILL’s Wisconsin Education Comeback: A Roadmap for Student Success series and examines why Wisconsin’s in-state charter school sector has stalled while chartering continues to expand across the country.
Wisconsin was once at the forefront of the charter school movement, being one of the first states to enact a charter school law in 1993. Today, however, the state is falling behind. WILL’s latest report identifies major barriers in funding, authorization, regulation, and governance that make Wisconsin an increasingly difficult place to open and grow innovative public schools.
The Quotes: WILL Research Director Will Flanders stated, “Wisconsin once led the nation in education reform, but charter schools—a vital option for families—have stagnated in recent years. Families want and deserve innovative public-school options, but unnecessary and costly roadblocks prevent charter school expansion. Wisconsin must reverse this trend so our students can access real education options and thrive.”
Key Findings: Since 2015, independent charter enrollment has grown 35%. But over the past three years, enrollment growth has slowed to just 11.6% with Wisconsin ranking 41st out of 45 states in the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools’ 2022 ranking of state charter laws. To reverse this slowdown and revitalize Wisconsin’s charter school environment, WILL’s report identifies the following key takeaways:
