Board opposed to private school voucher proposal

Schools stand to lose nearly $1 million in state aid under plan

MADISON, Wis. — The Madison Metropolitan School District’s Board of Education released a statement Friday unanimously opposing Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed expansion of the private school voucher system.

The board said in its statement if 50 Madison students had participated in the proposal, which would allow students to transfer to private schools through the use of vouchers, MMSD’s state aid would have decreased by approximately $900,000 this year. Private schools would have received more than $7,000 per student in the same scenario, according to the statement.

The statement also said that Madison schools are nationally recognized for their focus on special education, and the private voucher proposal would cause serious harm to the state’s “neediest children.”

“Our public tax dollars should go to fund our public schools that accept all of our children, are accountable for results and are shaped by the policies set by the school board that our community elects,” the board said in its statement.

The statement went on to urge legislators from both parties to reject the proposal.