WEAC Challenges Legality of "Virtual" Charter School

WEAC has filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the Northern Ozaukee School District's "virtual" charter school, the Wisconsin Virtual Academy (WIVA).

The complaint, filed in Ozaukee County Circuit Court on January 7, 2004, contends the district violates state law by enrolling nonresident students, WEAC General Counsel Bruce Meredith said.

WIVA, operated by the for-profit K12 Inc., of Virginia, provides curriculum and computers to students in their homes. Parents serve as primary instructors for WIVA students.

"Further, the lawsuit challenges the legality of providing public education without a qualified teacher," Meredith said.

"WEAC is not challenging the right of parents to educate their children at home," he said. "WEAC is challenging the ability to charge other districts and their taxpayers for this home schooling as if these children were educated in a regular classroom."

WIVA expects to receive approximately $5,500 from the state for each student attending WIVA who is not a resident of the Northern Ozaukee School District. Almost all of WIVA's students are believed to come from outside the district, Meredith said.

This money will be deducted from the amounts allocated to the home districts of the students attending WIVA. WIVA thus will take money from other school districts, he said.

"This will likely reduce overall educational quality and result in higher local property taxes. In addition, state taxpayers will be required to subsidize a private, out-of-state corporation by paying WIVA substantially more than its actual costs," he said.

"WEAC supports effective virtual education as long as the state ensures that our children receive a real education and taxpayers are charged a fair price," Meredith said. "The current legislation did not contemplate subsidized home schooling such as WIVA. As a result, providers such as K12 Inc. can use loopholes to get state funds and provide our children with virtually nothing. This is not fair to Wisconsin taxpayers or our children."

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