Legislative Report on Charter Schools 2020-2021. Statutory Report Series

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is required to submit this report to the Legislature regarding the status of existing charter schools, the number of petitions for new charter schools, and the action taken by school boards and DPI on petitions for new charter schools (see Wis. Stat. §115.28 (49)). This report offers the results of the charter school activity survey in the 421 Wisconsin school districts during the 2020-2021 school year. Independent authorizer charter school activity is not included in the survey. This report documents two distinct stages of decision-making regarding new charter school proposals. The first is a "development" decision (previously known as first-level decision) which includes the following: (1) further study of a new charter school; (2) considering participation in a charter consortium; or (3) study of a federal Charter Schools Program grant or subgrant for a new or replicated charter school. The second is an "implementation" decision (previously known as a second-level decision) which is defined as (1) an approved charter contract between the district and the operator of a charter school for a new charter school; (2) an approved written agreement to participate in a consortium; or (3) a signature on a federal Charter Schools Program grant or subgrant for a new or replicated charter school. For the purpose of this definition, petition and proposal can be used interchangeably. The department conducted an electronic survey and personally contacted school district officials to compile the necessary data. One hundred percent of Wisconsin school districts responded to the survey. During the 2020-2021 school year, 25 districts (5.9 percent) reported charter school activity as defined above, including at least one district in 11 of the 12 regional Cooperative Educational Services Agencies (CESA). A breakdown of the activity shows 19 school boards made 24 "development" charter school decisions, and 21 school boards made 24 "implementation" charter school decisions. Of the "development" decisions, 22 of 24 (92 percent) were approved. Of the implementation" decisions, 22 of 24 (92 percent) were approved. [This report was developed by the DPI Charter Schools Team, Parental Education Options. For "Legislative Report on Charter Schools, 2019-2020. Statutory Report Series," see ED612831.]