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Statewide program was passed as part of 2015-'17 budget

By Lucas Daprile August 13, 2015

Gov. Scott Walker has pushed for more Wisconsin students to have access to the statewide voucher system, which puts taxpayer dollars toward paying for lower-income students to attend private schools.

During his 2014 re-election campaign, Walker promised to either increase the cap of students allowed in the program or to remove the cap altogether.  Democratic opponent Mary Burke had pledged to dismantle the statewide voucher program.

When he proposed his 2015-'17 budget, Walker  went for removing the cap altogether -- and the Legislature included the change in its version of the budget.

Before the most recent budget eliminated the enrollment cap, only 1,000 students could participate in the statewide voucher program. A separate, larger and longstanding program has been in effect in Milwaukee, and previous expansions included some students in Racine.

Walker considered allowing higher-income families access to the voucher program, but did not promise that and did not change the current law that limits the statewide voucher program to low-income participants.

We rate this Promise Kept.

Our Sources

Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau, "Public Instruction: General School Aids and Revenue Limits," Page 522, Item 6.
 
Erin Richards, "Scott Walker, Mary Burke draw sharp contrast on expanding vouchers," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, September 3, 2014.
 
Erin Richards, "Walker proposal would virtually upend education status quo," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, February 3, 2015.