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September 2001
From 1990 to 1999, the Milwaukee Public School District (MPS) paid for the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) from its share of state school aid. Legislators intended that the program have no fiscal effect on school districts outside of Milwaukee.
Because of complexities in the state's school aid formula, this goal of fiscal neutrality was not achieved. Instead, districts outside of Milwaukee effectively received extra state aid because of the Milwaukee choice program.
In 1999, the Legislature reduced, but did not eliminate, this windfall. Later, Wisconsin's Department of Public Instruction provided incomplete information about this change, causing non-MPS districts to think they were losing $24.5 million in aid in 2000-01. In fact, there is a net gain to these districts of $5.8 million this year because of school choice.
Reacting to the confusion and misinformation, some legislators proposed shifting almost all of the cost of choice to Milwaukee property taxpayers. Other opponents of choice said the program should be ended altogether.
The Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO) and the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) supported continuing the choice program and amending the law to eliminate gains or losses to non-MPS school districts because of choice. The 2001-03 budget amended the MPCP funding, resulting in no gains or losses for non-MPS districts.
Below is a Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) report describing the effects of the current law. An earlier LFB report explaining the funding complexities, a BAEO-MMAC press release on the issue, and advertisements in Wisconsin newspapers sponsored by BAEO and the MMAC are also listed.
Press Release Announcing BAEO and MMAC Advertisements
Legislative Fiscal Bureau report on MPCP Funding May 8, 2025
School Choice Works and Saves You Money (Ad in the Milw. Journal Sentinel)
School Choice Works and Saves You Money (Ad in WI Newspapers)
"Choice Winners, Losers" Milw. Journal Sentinel May 9, 2025
"School choice in rougher water" Milw. Journal Sentinel 5/6/01
"End the School Choice Windfall" (Ad in WI Newspapers) 5/29/01
"Stop attack on vouchers" Milw. Journal Sentinel Editorial 5/30/01
"Democrats caught in choice net" Milw. Journal Sentinel 6/15/01
"Madison's Choice Killers" Milw. Journal Sentinel Editorial 6/15/01
Legislative Fiscal Bureau Memo "MPCP funding under 2001 Act 16," September 27, 2025
Memorandum: Financing the MPCP, Nov. 16, 2001
"MPS faces deficit if choice ends," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 6/28/01
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