Milwaukee's Parental Choice Program (MPCP) includes 110 schools today, having experienced both exits and entrants from its roster of 111 schools in the past decade. According to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), fall 2013 voucher enrollment was 25,820 students, about double the 13,268 enrolled in 2003-2004. Thus, while the…

For the first time since its 1998 expansion to include religious schools, enrollment in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) did not grow in the 2010-2011 school year. Currently, 20,996 private school students receive taxpayer-funded tuition vouchers (of $6,442 per pupil), a decrease of 66 students over last year. Chart 1 shows program…

This brochure provides charted reference information for Milwaukee Voucher Schools for the 2009-2010 school year. Schools are grouped by grade level. The following is included: Name, Address, Telephone, Grades; Religion/Denomination; Enrollment; Choice Student Enrollment; Number of Teachers; School Hours; Before/After School Programs;…

Between the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years, fewer new schools joined the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) than ever before. In addition, 14 MPCP schools closed and another three schools merged--the most year-over-year closures the program has seen. In this 12th edition of the Public Policy Forum's annual census of MPCP schools, the…

This 11th annual census indicates that, after more than 10 years of growth, many characteristics of MPCP (Milwaukee Parental Chide Program) schools are not markedly different from those of Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS). Key findings reported include: (1) Total voucher use grew 5% over last year, the second smallest annual growth since religious…

Changes in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program's enabling legislation were intended to increase program ability to enroll dissatisfied public school students while ensuring some third-party accountability for voucher schools. After changes in eligibility requirements and the lifting of the enrollment cap, enrollment did grow, but much of the…

For seventeen years an underlying rationale for Milwaukee's private school voucher program has been that competition from private schools is needed to bring about improvements in Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS). However, despite an increased availability of vouchers for more eligible children than ever before, demand during the past school year did…

This brochure provides charted reference information for Milwaukee Voucher Schools for the 2003-2004 school year. Schools are grouped by grade level; the following is included: Name, Address, Telephone, Religion/Denomination; Capacity; Total Enrollment' Milwaukee Parent Choice School Program (MPCP) percent: Number of Teachers; Years in MPCP;…

During the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program's (MPCP) 15th year, the statutory cap on voucher enrollment was met: for the first time, the voucher program enrollment surpassed 15% of Milwaukee Public School (MPS) enrollment. Hitting the cap has triggered a heated political debate. Voucher advocates argue that the cap should be lifted, that…

In its annual analysis of Milwaukee charter schools, the Forum found that Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) charter school students substantially outperform University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) and City charter school students, especially at the elementary school level. The charter school movement continues to gain momentum across the country as…

This year continues a 14-year trend of growth in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP). More students than ever before are attending the city's private schools using taxpayer-funded vouchers. In addition, more private schools participate than ever before, including a significant number of schools new to the program. This growth has put…

One criticism of Milwaukee's Parental Choice Program (MPCP) made by parents and policy makers focuses on the lack of information regarding student performance across participating schools. Schools participating in the MPCP are not required to either administer standardized exams or report their scores. The Public Policy Forum's annual census of…

Today in Milwaukee 11,163 children receive vouchers to attend 107 different private schools. What began as an experiment in market-based education reform has grown to be one of the largest educational programs in the state of Wisconsin. Over the past five years, the Public Policy Forum has conducted a census of all schools participating in the…

For the first time since the expansion of the choice program to include religious schools in 1998-1999, fewer K4 students are receiving vouchers than in the previous year. This decrease accompanies the first year of implementation of the Milwaukee Public Schools' (MPS) Neighborhood Schools Initiative, which added full-day K4 to 27 MPS neighborhood…