Legislative leaders on both sides of the fight over the future of Milwaukee's private school voucher program are preparing legislative packages pushing their stands, with two key Republicans saying Sunday that they will introduce a bill that would lift the cap on the groundbreaking program and make more information about the performance of schools public.

Democrats are expected to submit a bill soon incorporating Gov. Jim Doyle's proposals for education issues in Milwaukee, linking an increase in the program's capacity with other changes affecting schools in Milwaukee and statewide.

So far, there has been no sign of a breakthrough in an intense debate not so much over whether the legal limit on the program should be lifted - both sides call for that - but how much and in trade for what, if any, concessions.

The voucher program, which this year involves about 15,000 students attending about 125 private schools, is on course to go over the legal limit on its size (15% of the enrollment in Milwaukee Public Schools) next fall. Both sides appear to agree that a formula for dealing with the problem, proposed in December by the state Department of Public Instruction, could cause upheaval for many schools and thousands of students, and that plans for next fall need to be put in motion soon, giving the issue urgency.

Plan would lift cap

State Rep. Leah Vukmir (R-Wauwatosa) and state Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) said Sunday that they will introduce a proposal that would remove the voucher cap altogether and would get state officials involved in a broad, privately funded study of Milwaukee students in all three streams of schools in the city - MPS, charter schools and voucher schools - as a way of finding out whether students are making progress and taxpayers are getting their money's worth.

The private study, which would be led by researchers from Georgetown University, appears to be getting closer to a launching point.

Darling said, "We're putting out a plan that will offer stability and certainty for Milwaukee parents."

Vukmir said, "All of us want to make sure the taxpayers are getting their money's worth and the children are getting a good education," and the study would provide independent research evidence that would be better than simply having voucher students take the state standardized tests as Doyle has proposed.

Test results involved

The proposal from the two also would call for voucher schools to release the results of standardized tests they do give, although testing would not be mandatory. The large majority of students in voucher schools currently take standardized tests, although many schools do not release results to the public.

State Sen. Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) said last week that she expects a group of Milwaukee legislators to introduce a bill incorporating Doyle's education proposals soon.

Doyle has proposed that the voucher cap be put at 18% of MPS enrollment, that voucher students take the state tests, that provisions in the state funding formula that have the effect of increasing property taxes in Milwaukee as voucher enrollment goes up be fixed and that aid to support the class size reduction program known as SAGE be increased statewide.

Governor's statement

Melanie Fonder, a spokeswoman for Doyle, said Sunday, "The governor is prepared to raise the cap today, but he wants to make sure there is more accountability in choice schools so the kids in them get the kind of education they deserve."

Republicans and key voucher program advocates say Doyle should not tie the voucher cap issue to other education issues. They also say the changes in school funding that Doyle has proposed cannot be afforded now and should be taken up in the next state budget process.

"The governor has an all or nothing approach, and that's telling us he's more interested in what the (teachers) unions want," Vukmir said.