Taxpayer-funded payments to families choosing private schools using a voucher will increase an estimated $217 dollars per-student each of the next two years, according to estimates prepared by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau and released by Democrats who oppose the voucher program.
“The state makes a choice that per-pupil, it will give more to a student at an unaccountable private school than to a public school student,” said state Senator Janet Bewley (D-Mason).
But a press release from school choice groups said the Democrat’s claims need to be put in context. “The revenue limit on traditional public schools alone – the combination of state equalized aid and property taxes – was $10,312 for 2016. The voucher amount, even at the end of this budget, will be $7,757 for grades K-8 and $8,403 for high school,” said the release from School!Choice Wisconsin, Wisconsin Federation for Children and Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty.