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February 29, 2008
For more information, contact
Christina Brey, WEAC Communications Coordinator
608-298-2519
Looking before we leap
Assembly Bill 870 puts everything at risk.
WEAC President Mary Bell spoke out against Assembly Bill 870 today. Bell said the bill the Assembly passed early this morning risks the interruption of virtual charter school students' education because it will not become law. The bill would encourage virtual charter schools to expand before the state could have a chance to know what the schools' impact will be on all students and taxpayers.
“Since the Court of Appeals ruled unanimously in December 2007 that virtual charter schools were operating in violation of Wisconsin 's education laws, WEAC has called upon the Legislature to pass legislation that enables virtual charter school students to continue the ir education uninterrupted and requires fiscal and academic accountability for the schools,” Bell said. “The Assembly is acting irresponsibly by ignoring a bill the governor will sign—Senate Bill 396—and taking up one that he will not.”
Because virtual charter schools are new, and the ir accountability up to now has been minimal, the impact the y could have on all school districts is unknown. Virtual schools operate under the state's open enrollment law even though the law was written and passed long before virtual schools existed. An audit and a legitimate, meaningful enrollment cap would give the state the information and time it needs to make commonsense adjustments suitable to a virtual charter school world.
“Virtual charter schools did not exist when the open enrollment law was debated and passed,” Bell said. “It only makes sense to study the impact the se schools can have before the y grow to the point where the y are potentially harming the 876,000 students who are educated in the rest of our state's great schools.”
With so many school districts struggling under the state's local school revenue caps law, even relatively small impacts can have devastating effects.
“Many great schools are at risk because of revenue caps,” Bell said. “Throughout the state, more than 40 school districts are going to referendum in April to attempt to override the caps that are driving the m toward bankruptcy. More than one-quarter of Wisconsin 's school districts have reported the y may be forced to close or consolidate because of revenue caps. The uncertainties around the funding of virtual charter schools make a precarious situation even more dangerous.”
(END)
More information about virtual charter schools is available on WEAC's website:
“Before it's too late” [2/25/08]
“Virtual schools must be accountable, Bell says” [2/22/08]
“Let’s get real about school funding” [2/21/08]
“Virtual charter bill is responsible and fair” [2/19/08]
“WEAC awaits details and data on proposed virtual charter school legislation” [1/25/08]
“WEAC calls for fiscal, academic accountability in virtual charter school legislation” [1/24/08]
“WEAC seeks balanced legislation that makes virtual schools accountable to all stakeholders” [1/17/08]
“WEAC applauds appeals court ruling on Wisconsin Virtual Academy” [12/5/07]
