Current through February 24, 2025
(1) DEFINITIONS. In
this section:
(a) "Continuing pupil" means an
applicant who participated in the choice program or the program under s.
119.23,
Stats., in the immediately preceding school year.
(c) "Family size" means the number of people
who reside together as part of the same household and who are related by birth,
marriage, or adoption. Family size includes parents, pupil applicants, and
other children who share at least one parent by birth, adoption, or by a
parent's current marriage. A parent on military duty is considered to be
residing in the household.
(d)
"Family income" means the federal adjusted gross income of the parents included
in the family size.
(e) "Prior
year" means the calendar year prior to the school year for which the applicant
is applying.
(2)
RESIDENCY ELIGIBILITY. A school shall obtain one of the residency documents
specified by the department from an applicant's parent that shows the applicant
resides at the address on the application at the time of application. The
residency document shall be dated no earlier than 3 months prior to the start
of the open application period in which an applicant applies. If a school
receives a lease agreement as a residency document, the lease term shall
include the date the application was received. The document shall contain the
parent name and match the address on the application.
(3) ADDRESS VERIFICATION. A school shall
verify an applicant's address listed on the residency documentation under sub.
(2) as follows:
(a) If a pupil is applying to
the Racine parental choice program, the school shall verify that the address on
the application is in the Racine Unified School District by using the Racine
Unified School District's transportation information, the state of Wisconsin's
Statewide Voter Registration System or any other source permitted by the
department.
(b) If a pupil is
applying to the Wisconsin parental choice program, the school shall verify that
the address on the application is in the Wisconsin school district listed on
the application but not in the Racine Unified School District or City of
Milwaukee by using the state of Wisconsin's Statewide Voter Registration System
or any other source permitted by the department.
(4) INCOME ELIGIBILITY. A continuing pupil or
a pupil on a choice program waiting list in the preceding school year in the
same choice program they are applying to is not subject to the income
requirements for the choice program. A school shall determine if all other
applicants meet the income eligibility requirements under s.
118.60(2) (a), Stats., as follows:
(a) If the parent uses the department of
revenue income determination method under s.
118.60(2) (a) 1 b., Stats., the school or parent shall
input the parent's social security number into the online application system or
parent application. If the department of revenue is unable to verify family
income, the parent shall use the department of public instruction income
determination method under par. (b).
(b) If the parent uses the department of
public instruction income determination method, the school shall do all of the
following:
1. A school shall obtain the income
documentation required by the parent application from the parent. The school
shall ensure the information on the income documentation matches the
information provided in the online parent application.
2. A school shall determine whether a pupil
is income eligible for the choice program they are applying to based on the
family size and prior year family income.
3. A pupil shall be determined ineligible if
the application indicates the parent did not receive any income and the
application does not contain a sufficient explanation of how basic needs are
met.
4. A pupil shall be determined
ineligible if the explanation of how basic needs are met states that income or
government assistance was received, but the application states the parent
listed on the application did not receive income or participate in government
assistance programs.
(5) AGE REQUIREMENT. In order to be eligible
for the choice program, a 4-year-old kindergarten pupil, 5-year-old
kindergarten pupil, and a first grade pupil shall attain the ages specified in
s.
118.14(1),
Stats.
(6) APPLICATION RECEIPT. A
school may only receive an application during an open application period
selected by the school under s.
PI 48.03(3) (a)
3. or 48.04(2) (c). Except as provided under
sub. (8), the school shall receive all documentation, including the
documentation required under subs. (2) and (4), during the same open
application period in which the school receives the application.
(7) INELIGIBLE APPLICATIONS. An application
shall be determined ineligible if any of the following apply:
(a) The application does not comply with this
section or s.
118.60,
Stats., and a correction of the application under sub. (8) is not
allowable.
(b) The application
contains contradictory information.
(8) CORRECTING APPLICATIONS. A school may
correct an application only in the following circumstances and manner:
(a) The school shall correct an application
by December 15 for applications received during an open application period
prior to the third Friday in September and by the due date for the second
Friday in January enrollment audit required under s.
PI 48.07(1) for applications received
during an open application period after the third Friday in September. If the
school does not correct the application as required in this subsection by the
specified date, the application is ineligible.
(b) The school shall obtain additional
residency documentation after the open application period in which the
application was received if all of the following apply:
1. The school received residency
documentation from the parent during the open application period in which the
application was received and the residency documentation contains the
following:
b. The parent's name, even if the name is
misspelled, is abbreviated, or is a nickname.
2. The additional residency documentation is
in the parent's name, contains the parent's correct address, and meets the
requirements in subs. (2) and (3).
(c) The school shall obtain a prior year tax
transcript for each parent on the application showing that the family is income
eligible for the choice program they are applying to based on the prior year
income if both of the following apply:
1. The
application indicates the parent on the application received income.
2. The income documentation provided by the
parent during the open application period in which the application was received
is not for the correct year or is not the required document for the type of
income included on the application.
(d) The school shall obtain a prior year tax
transcript for each parent on the application showing a verification of
non-filing and support that the parent received the government assistance in
the prior year that is identified on the application, or a prior year tax
transcript showing the parent did not receive any income in the prior year if
both of the following apply:
1. The
application indicates the parent on the application did not receive income but
participated in government assistance programs.
2. The government assistance programs
documentation provided by the parent during the open application period in
which the application was received is not for the correct year or is not the
required document for the type of government assistance included on the
application.
(e) The
school shall obtain documentation showing that the pupil participated in
kinship or foster care if the application indicates the pupil participated in
the kinship or foster care program but the school did not receive documentation
that complies with the requirements in sub. (4).
