Badger InstituteBadger Institute
  • Home
  • Issues
    • Taxes
    • Education
    • Crime & Justice
    • Spending & Accountability
    • Economy & Infrastructure
    • Federalism
    • Licensing
    • Healthcare
    • Civil Society
  • Mandate for Madison
  • Research
  • Magazines
    • Diggings
    • Wisconsin Interest
  • Events
  • Media
    • Podcast
    • Fact Sheets
    • Viewpoints
    • Press Releases
    • Badger in the News
    • Video
    • Audio
    • Testimony
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Board of Directors
    • Team
    • Visiting Fellows
    • America’s Future
    • Careers
  • Newsletter
  • Donate
  • Contact Us

Subscribe for Updates

Get the latest news and updates from Badger Institute.

What's New

Latest crime figures show a Milwaukee in trouble

March 23, 2023

Wisconsin lawmakers in the dark on broadband

March 16, 2023

The underfunded part of Wisconsin public schooling

March 16, 2023
Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Instagram
TRENDING:
  • Latest crime figures show a Milwaukee in trouble
  • Wisconsin lawmakers in the dark on broadband
  • The underfunded part of Wisconsin public schooling
  • If we don’t pay for roads, we don’t get mobility
  • Foreseeing the Future of Wisconsin’s Flat Tax
  • Wisconsin voters will be asked about welfare work requirements
  • A state without convictions
  • Why Wisconsin Needs a Flat Tax and Education Reform
  • Donate
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Instagram
Badger InstituteBadger Institute
SUPPORT OUR MISSION
  • Issues
    • Taxes
    • Education
    • Crime & Justice
    • Spending & Accountability
    • Economy & Infrastructure
    • Federalism
    • Licensing
    • Healthcare
    • Civil Society
  • Mandate for Madison
  • Research
  • Magazines
    • Diggings
    • Wisconsin Interest
  • Events
  • Media
    • Podcast
    • Fact Sheets
    • Viewpoints
    • Press Releases
    • Badger in the News
    • Video
    • Audio
    • Testimony
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Board of Directors
    • Team
    • Visiting Fellows
    • America’s Future
    • Careers
Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn
DONATE
Badger InstituteBadger Institute
Home » Education » Educational Choice in Wisconsin
Education

Educational Choice in Wisconsin

By Badger InstituteMay 2, 1993
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest

Public funds for private schools, early childhood through post-secondary

By Susan Mitchell

Proposals to use public funds for private education, especially from church-affiliated and for-profit institutions, are frequently portrayed as unprecedented, untested, and possibly unconstitutional ideas that establish new educational policy in Wisconsin. 

This is not the case. Contrary to conventional wisdom, substantial public funds are spent in Wisconsin for private education and early childhood programs. This study documents that: 

  • More than 30 programs provide state and federal tax dollars to buy education and early childhood programming from private organizations. 
  • Among the more than 400 private service providers receiving tax support identified in this report are (i) church-affiliated schools, colleges, and universities, (ii) for-profit businesses, and (iii) nonprofit, nonsectarian schools. Many more exist statewide. 
  • About $164 million a year in public funds is given, loaned, or otherwise provided to about 78,000 Wisconsin residents for private education and early childhood development. Recipients are racially diverse and come mostly from poor and middle-income families. 

These facts are poorly understood in part because most private programs that receive public funds focus either on (1) early childhood development, such as Head Start and kindergarten, or (2) post-secondary education. In contrast, few such programs exist at the elementary and secondary level, where resistance from public school officials is strong. 

This might change. Proposals currently before the Wisconsin Legislature would expand authority to use public funds for private education at the elementary and secondary level. Governor Tommy Thompson, in his 1993-95 budget, proposes to double the size of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program and to expand public school district authority to buy private educational services. Several legislators have proposed a tuition tax credit. Separately, a private, for-profit company has expressed interest in managing several Milwaukee public schools under contract to the district. 

Opponents portray these ideas as risky and possibly unconstitutional departures from established public policy.  When accepted uncritically, this inaccurate representation skews the way in which the debate is framed and ultimately affects which proposals are enacted. 

An understanding of existing policies and programs will allow debate on these proposals to focus on the most important question – educational impact – and help debunk existing myths about the supposed rarity of tax support for private educational choice in Wisconsin. For example, this study documents that: 

  • For decades, Wisconsin has had programs which provide students with public funds to pay for private education. 
  • Some programs are based on policy expressly designed to allow students equal opportunity and to encourage educational diversity. 
  • There are existing tax-supported programs at all levels – Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary, and Post Secondary – which allow the student or parent to choose the private institution. 
  • Thousands of participants use public funds to attend for-profit institutions. 
  • Thousands of participants use public funds to attend church-affiliated institutions. 
  • Pending initiatives do not represent major new policy, but instead extend to elementary and secondary students opportunities widely available in early childhood and post-secondary programs. 
  • In some cases, pending proposals do not go as far as existing programs: they simply allow school districts to buy educational services just as they now buy other services, such as transportation or professional services. 
  • Existing programs provide examples of how choice programs can be administered at low cost and regulated effectively. 

In this report, Chapter I summarizes the tax-supported programs of private education and early childhood development. Chapters II, III, and IV provide detail. 

Vol6no4Download
Reports
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Telegram Email
Badger Institute

Related Posts

The underfunded part of Wisconsin public schooling

March 16, 2023

Amid illiteracy, where was the urgency?

February 23, 2023

Family finds education freedom a “godsend”

February 16, 2023
Categories
Top Posts

Local pols filling old budget holes with massive COVID aid

December 8, 20221,454

This is not four years ago

November 10, 20221,287

A state without convictions

January 12, 2023647

Billions in federal spending in Wisconsin unaudited; results never measured

November 9, 2022491
Archives

Sign Up for Top Picks

Our weekly e-Newsletter with the latest items and updates

Connect with Badger Institute
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
About Us
About Us

The Badger Institute is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit institute established in 1987 working to engage and energize Wisconsinites and others in discussions and timely action on key public policy issues critical to the state’s future, growth and prosperity.

Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn

Sign Up for Top Picks

Our weekly e-Newsletter with the latest items and updates

What’s New

Latest crime figures show a Milwaukee in trouble

March 23, 2023

Wisconsin lawmakers in the dark on broadband

March 16, 2023

The underfunded part of Wisconsin public schooling

March 16, 2023

If we don’t pay for roads, we don’t get mobility

March 9, 2023
© 2023 Badger Institute | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Sitemap

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience.

Privacy settings

Privacy Settings

This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. Which cookies and scripts are used and how they impact your visit is specified on the left. You may change your settings at any time. Your choices will not impact your visit.

NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using.

CRM Software

Customer Relationship Management Software

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. Google uses the data collected to track and monitor the use of our Service. This data is shared with other Google services. Google may use the collected data to contextualize and personalize the ads of its own advertising network.

You can opt-out of having made your activity on the Service available to Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on. The add-on prevents the Google Analytics JavaScript (ga.js, analytics.js, and dc.js) from sharing information with Google Analytics about visits activity.

For more information on the privacy practices of Google, please visit the Google Privacy & Terms web page: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en

Powered by Cookie Information