Milwaukee Voucher Program

Milwaukee’s voucher program is the nation’s oldest, created by the Wisconsin Legislature in 1990. It enrolls 20,996 students in 102 private schools with vouchers worth about $6,442 per student in the 2010-2011 school year. About 38 percent of the program funding came from a reduction in state general aid to Milwaukee Public Schools and 62 percent from state general purpose revenues with the voucher program estimated to cost $131 million in 2010-2011. Studies have repeatedly show no major differences in test scores between voucher students and their peers in the Milwaukee Public Schools.

In June 2011, Gov. Scott Walker signed the 2011-2013 state budget into law that expanded the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program and created the Racine Parental Choice pilot program.  Changes to the Milwaukee voucher program include: removing enrollment caps, expanding student eligibility and expanding school participation eligibility. The Racine voucher program allows students in the Racine Unified School District to receive a voucher to attend a participating private school. The program has an enrollment cap of 250 in the first year and 500 in the second, and no cap in subsequent years.