28 Private Schools Sign Up For Special Needs Voucher Program

Twenty-eight schools in Wisconsin plan to participate in an expansion of private school vouchers called the “Special Needs Scholarship Program,” according to a list provided by the state Department of Public Instruction.

The program will use state funds to help children with disabilities attend private schools. Participating schools will receive $12,000 for each student enrolled.

The vast majority of the private schools that plan to participate in the program are from Southeast Wisconsin. Nineteen of the 28 are from Milwaukee County, another four are from Waukesha County.

Republican lawmakers added the program to the budget last year despite an aggressive campaign by disability rights groups to fight it. Those groups argue private schools won’t undergo the same level of scrutiny as public schools.

Private school advocates said the plan would merely give parents a choice. Enrollment begins July 1.