The elections are finally over and now we live with the results. What does it mean for private schools?

First, there was very high voter participation. One precinct in Dane County had 100 percent voter turnout. The “red wave” we expected and was predicted throughout the land was largely unfounded. Certainly, it’s a good reminder to be careful of believing the narratives we all hear and read. This election was not decided only by regular die-hards. The widespread participation and cross-party voting should temper lawmakers’ rhetoric.

And after the most expensive race for Governor in state history ($115 million combined), the specter of Gov. Ever’s homespun remarks, “Holy Mackerel… Boring wins,” caught the attention of comedian and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, who made references to wedgies and lunch money. Watch it here (fast-forward to the 4:50 timestamp). Read about it here.

On the federal level, the Democrats may hold onto a slim Senate lead, and even the House might only see a fairly narrow Republican majority. This is highly irregular for the opposing party in a president’s first term. 

In fact, it’s nearly unprecedented that Wisconsin had to wait until nearly noon the day after the election to learn the outcome of a U.S. Senate election. And had to wait until after noon to learn of the winner in the Wisconsin Attorney General’s (AG) race. The AG controls the Office of School Safety, which administers safety grants and the school safety plan law. 

Even if the Republicans take the majority in Congress, it’s unlikely that President Biden will sign any school choice related bills. The Educational Choice for Children’s Act that boosters were priming for the “red wave” was introduced in both houses of Congress in June. It would use the tax code to promote parental choice without government intervention in our schools.

However, the bipartisanship may finally result in the long overdue reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which Congress is supposed to update every six years, but hasn’t touched for 18. The law does not guarantee equitable access for private school children like the ESSA. It has no ombudsman function so school district compliance varies widely across the state and nation. With WCRIS’ encouragement, the Council for American Private Education (CAPE) is pushing for reauthorization.

On the state level, Gov. Evers is developing a budget that’s big on boosting spending for public education. But the Republican legislature will never sign it. They’ll propose a budget instead that will have more modest spending and inclusion for private schools. Whatever per pupil spending increases result will trigger the state law requiring that vouchers increase proportionally. So, we’ll see some rise in voucher amounts for 2023-2025. Less successful will be efforts to see the voucher base amounts increased, the three programs synchronized, the entry points removed or the caps lifted before they expire in 2026. So don’t expect those changes. Gov. Evers won’t sign them.

Interestingly, the state saw the highest number of public school referendum questions on ballots in over two decades ($1.93 billion total). Statewide, 51 of the 81 school referenda were approved by voters (63%), while some districts were still counting votes. Despite the influx of revenue, expect to hear complaints about it not being sustainable.

While the state Senate gained its veto proof majority, the state Assembly did not. Without that power in both houses, you’ll not see the ability to overturn the governor’s vetoes.

But, since WCRIS advocates on a range of issues impacting our schools, there will be plenty of other efforts to track, which protect and advance our interests. We anticipate they’ll include school safety, water quality for schools with wells, student records, busing, teacher licensure, etc.

What can you do? The best way you can help advance the cause of private schools is to invite state and federal legislators to visit your school. Tell them about your contributions to the local economy, workforce and the state’s educational landscape. Call our office if you’d like help setting that up. Let us know how it goes when the visit is done so we can follow up.

The state budget will be introduced by mid February so stay tuned to Current Events for details.