Department of Public Instruction State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster says schools in Wisconsin's smaller towns often don't have the same resources as their bigger city counterparts. While speaking at the 8th annual Wisconsin Charter Schools Conference Monday, Burmaster says she believes charter schools are one way to bridge this gap. She's excited about five rural school districts that will be launching charter high schools with a "21st century" approach.
"They're incorporating the use of technology to expand opportunities by offering distance learning in online courses and career development and environmental tourism"
Wisconsin charter schools serve 35,000 students. The state has 232 charter schools, 52 of which are new this year.