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Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Assembly passes ALEC’s special education voucher plan that would divert millions to private schools | Defend Wisconsin

Assembly passes ALEC’s special education voucher plan that would divert millions to private schools | Defend Wisconsin:


Assembly passes ALEC’s special education voucher plan that would divert millions to private schools

Private school vouchers would be made available to special education students under a bill that has passed the state Assembly on a 55-39 vote Tuesday. It must also pass the Senate this week or it will die for the year.
Assembly bill 110 would create a statewide Special Needs Scholarship Program, which would allow a participating special-education student to transfer to another public, private or charter school, with the receiving school accepting aid for that student and the school the student transfers from losing aid. The state subsidy would be worth $13,500 per pupil under the legislation.
The bill is part of the American Legislative Exchange Council‘s agenda for school reform that Republican state legislators are pushing to implement. Specifically, the bill for special needs children is modeled on the ALEC Special Needs Scholarship Program Act.
Disability rights advocates and state Department of Public Instruction officials say the measure would divert up to