Both continuing and new schools are required to have all required forms and fees at the DPI on January 10, 2017.  A continuing school is any school that is already participating in the Private School Choice Program (PSCP).  A new school is an existing school which has not participated in the PSCP before.  For any newly opened school to qualify for the 2017-18 PSCP, it must have completed certain requirements prior to August 1, 2016.  Failure to submit all required documents to DPI by January 10 will make the school ineligible to participate in the 2017-18 PSCP.  Note that there is a School Registration Checklist on the SCHOOL REGISTRATION PAGE which helps keep track of the required forms.

All schools must submit  SCHOOL REGISTRATION FORMS (Notice of School’s Intent to Participate Form, Random Selection Agreement and Letter on Student Rights and the Auditor Form)  by January 10, 2017.  For continuing schools, the Notice of School’s Intent to Participate Form will be sent to the Choice Administrator from the DPI via email with a unique link.  This form is pre-loaded with the current information for the school and administrator.  The Choice Administrator will need to make updates as needed.  For problems accessing or completing the form contact DPI staff at privateschoolchoice@dpi.wi.gov or 888-245-273 x3.

New schools may access the 2017-18 Notice of School’s Intent to Participate form on the SCHOOL REGISTRATION PAGE at dpi.wi.gov/sms/choice-programs/school-registration and should read each section carefully to understand the information contained within the form before signing and submitting it. By electronically signing the form, the school agrees that compliance with program requirements constitutes a condition of receipt of funds and that in the event of failure to comply, the school’s participation in the program can be terminated and/or PSCP payments withheld. For both new and continuing schools all other forms are found on the SCHOOL REGISTRATION PAGE.   Note that the state has a new financial accounting system (STAR) and schools must provide their Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) in order for state aid payments to be processed.

MPCP and RPCP schools must submit the Random Selection Plan and have the plan approved by the State Superintendent by January 10,2017.  The process that a school  must follow regarding random selection  is known as the “Agreement on Random Selection Process for Admissions into the MPCP and the RPCP”.  If a school voluntarily agrees to sign this document stating it will follow the rules outlined in the agreement, the electronic submission of the signed document included with the Notice of School’s Intent to Participate will indicate the State Superintendent’s approval of the school’s plan.  A school may provide its own Random Selection Plan but it must be submitted to and approved by the DPI and the State Superintendent prior to January 10, 2017 to allow time for edits to the final document. The State is required to conduct random selection for WPCP schools so they do not need to submit a plan.

All Choice Administrators should read the letter from the State Superintendent regarding student rights on the SCHOOL REGISTRATION PAGE, then complete the Students Rights Acknowledgement and submit with the other forms by January 10, 2017.

Note that a Choice Administrator completing and signing the Notice of School’s Intent to Participate must be the sole owner of the school or appointed by the organization that operates the school and must have minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited higher education institution.  State law mandates that schools ensure that any person with administrative financial or pupil health and safety responsibilities, either paid or unpaid, is not a disqualified  person, defined by state law as:

Wis. Stat. §§119.23(1)(ag) or 118.60(1)(ag). A disqualified person is defined as a person who had a controlling ownership interest in, or was an officer, director or trustee of a private school barred or terminated from the program, or was the administrator of a private school, a person identified as an administrative designee, or an individual responsible for the activity that resulted in an order being issued barring or terminating a private school from participation in the program. If a school retains a disqualified person, the school may be terminated from the program.

Schools that submit forms to participate in the PSCP must send a cashier’s check payable to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction by January 10, 2017.   The check should be mailed with the Auditor Form which is found on the SCHOOL REGISTRATION PAGE.