Wisconsin

Wisconsin offers K–12 students and their families several types of school choice, including five private school choice programs, charter schools, magnet schools, home schooling and inter-district and intra-district public school choice via open enrollment policies.

Special Needs Scholarship Program

• Wisconsin’s Special Needs Scholarship Program provides vouchers designated specifically for students with disabilities to attend private school. Learn more about the program’s details, including eligibility, funding, regulations and more, on this page.
• Enacted 2015

Program Rules:

• • Income Limit: None
  • Prior Year Public School Requirement: Yes
  • Geographic Limit: Statewide
  • Enrollment Cap: None
  • Voucher Cap: $13,013
  • Testing Mandates: State Civics Exam for high school graduation, unless IEP exempts student from participation
  • Additional Information: Limited to students with special needs

K–12 Private School Tuition Deduction

• Wisconsin provides an income tax deduction for individuals who pay private school tuition for their dependent children. It has no income limit, and taxpaying families can apply for an individual tax deduction after paying for K–12 private school tuition.
• Enacted 2013

Program Rules:

• • Income Limit: None
  • Prior Year Public School Requirement: None
  • Geographic Limit: Statewide
  • Enrollment Cap: None
  • Individual Deduction Cap: $4,000 (K–8) / $10,000 (9–12)
  • Testing Mandates: None

Milwaukee Parental Choice Program

• Milwaukee’s Parental Choice Program is considered the nation’s first modern private school choice program. It offers private school vouchers to lower-income Milwaukee students.
• Enacted 1990

Program Rules:

• • Income Limit: 300 percent x Poverty
  • Prior Year Public School Requirement: None
  • Geographic Limit: District (Milwaukee)
  • Enrollment Cap: None
  • Voucher Cap: $8,336 (K–8) / $8,982(9–12)
  • Testing Mandates: State Test

Parental Choice Program (Statewide)

• Wisconsin’s statewide Parental Choice Program, a private school voucher program, offers school vouchers to students whose families meet certain income qualifications and are not assigned to the Milwaukee Public Schools or Racine Unified school districts.
• Enacted 2013

Program Rules:

• • Income Limit: 220 percent x poverty
  • Prior Year Public School Requirement: Yes, with exceptions
  • Geographic Limit: Statewide (except for Milwaukee and Racine)
  • Enrollment Cap: 5 percent of each public district’s enrollment (escalator)
  • Voucher Cap: $8,300 (K–8) / $8,946 (9–12)
  • Testing Mandates: State

• Racine, Wisconsin’s Parental Private School Choice Program offers private school vouchers to Racine families who meet certain income restrictions.
• Enacted 2011

Program Rules:

• • Income Limit: 300 percent x Poverty
  • Prior Year Public School Requirement: Yes, with exceptions
  • Geographic Limit: District (Racine Unified)
  • Enrollment Cap: None
  • Voucher Cap: $8,336 (K–8) / $8,982 (9–12)
  • Testing Mandates: State test

To find out more about educational choice programs in your state, please complete the below form.