Board Debates Wording of Letter on School Voucher Bill

When Gov. Scott Walker advanced a budget bill that expanded the choice school voucher program, the language went somewhat further than even Republicans in the Legislature intended.

The intent was to add families in the struggling Racine Unified School District to eligibility for the program, which up to then had included only families in Milwaukee. But the language of the legislation was drafted to avoid singling Racine out by name, and it inadvertently created the possibility that other school systems could become eligible.

A lot of them.

"They were trying to describe Racine," Wauwatosa School Superintendent Phil Ertl told the School Board on Monday, "and they ended up describing a whole lot of other cities as well."

Sixteen cities, to be precise, all "second-class cities" under Wisconsin statutes. Analysis of the budget bill language after it passed revealed that any one or even all of them could, under certain circumstances, come to qualify under the same criteria as was used to identify Racine.

Wauwatosa is one of those cities.

Protests from across the state to what appeared to be inroads on local control of successful public school districts flooded in, and two Republican legislators have introduced a bill intended to correct the flaw.

Sen. Mike Ellis (R-Neenah) and Rep. Robin Vos (R-Rochester), drafted language that is intended to clarify that only a district that was qualified by its poverty at the date of the budget act – that is, Racine – would be eligible for vouchers, and no other school district might qualify after that date.

And that, on Monday night, left the Wauwatosa School Board with the curious dilemma of how to show its support for a bill that would protect it from eligibility in a program that it fundamentally disagrees with in the first place, for anybody, including Racine and Milwaukee.

A draft letter to legislators in support of the bill was discussed but not approved as board members debated whether the language was strong enough.

Mary Jo Randall did not think it was.

"I would like to see our district go on record as opposing using public funds for private schools," Randall said. "This letter tacitly supports expansion to Racine.

"I really object to seeing Wauwatosa taxpayers' money going to support private schools."

Sharon Muehlfeld, on the other hand, saw it as a practical matter of dealing with the issue at hand.

"That's what's on the books," she said, "and we should support it."

Board president Lois Weber minced no words about her opposition to vouchers, saying, "I'm totally against sending our precious few dollars to any private school." But she also made it clear she wanted consensus from the board on the message being sent – whether there was a solid block that wanted to make a statement on that principle, or whether the will of the board was only to protect the Wauwatosa Schools by supporting Ellis and Vos' bill.

"We were elected to represent a public school district," board member Michael Meier said. "As I see it, it is perfectly legitimate for the state to to take the position that public funds can be used to support private schools.

"But we were not elected to take those positions."

Anne Fee agreed, but said, "It's in the best interests of our school district to seek support from our (legislative) delegation, but I'm opposed to expanding (that support) beyond our district."

Only Phil Kroner gave a weak nod to the very idea of public vouchers for private schools, saying, "We support parental choice within our district (through public charter schools) but not the opportunity to make other choices."

However, he went on, "We need to focus on Wauwatosa and our specific goals."

In light of the lack of consensus, Weber asked Ertl if he could do a little more soul-searching and, in consultation with her, come back with a letter by the next meeting of the board that was a bit more in line with the general feeling of the membership.

"I will bring back something that board can support," Ertl said.

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The draft bill and letter to legislators are attached in the photo gallery accompanying this story.