Wauwatosa, Wis.- In his budget proposal released February 3, Governor Scott Walker included a robust plan to create a charter school board that would approve independent charter schools across Wisconsin and also increase funding for them to grow enrollment.
The Wisconsin Coalition for Public Charter Schools issued the following statement on Governor Walkers budget proposal:
There is a need for high-quality charter schools in Wisconsin, and we are very grateful to Governor Walker for proposing expansion of independent charters and also increasing funding in his budget, said Kristy Casey, director of Wisconsin Coalition for Public Charter Schools. Independent charters continue to be the highest performing sector of schools available to families in Milwaukee and are closing the achievement gap for the citys students.
In Wisconsin, the state only allows independent charter schools to open in the Milwaukee area. Independent charter schools are autonomous from school districts and are making major strides in closing the achievement gap.
For the last two decades, Wisconsin has failed to make much in the way of improvements to its public charter school law. By adding more charters throughout the state and giving them equal funding as traditional public schools, Wisconsin will create a more supportive environment for high-quality charter schools, particularly for the students who need them the most.
We are very pleased to see that Governor Walker has included our priorities in his budget and are optimistic about the positive change for public charter schools in Wisconsin, said Casey.
Wisconsins charter school law ranked 38th in the nation, according to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools annual state-by-state ranking of charter school laws.
The Wisconsin Coalition for Public Charter Schools is a collaboration of organizations that support the growth of high-quality public charter schools in Wisconsin.
