Voucher schools should be more open

Sarah Karon:

Back in 1990, when Milwaukee launched the nation's first publicly funded voucher program, participating schools could enroll no more than 49 percent voucher students. These schools were considered private, because the majority of their students paid private tuition.

Fast-forward to 2013.

Now, more than half of Milwaukee's 110 voucher schools have at least 95 percent of students on publicly funded vouchers. In one-fifth of these schools, every student receives a voucher.

Yet because voucher schools are still classified as "private," they can -- and do -- ignore Wisconsin's open records and meetings laws. It's a double standard that undermines transparency and shields information from parents and the public.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at June 6, 2013 1:55 AM
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