Student enrollment

13,268 (2003-2004)

Student enrollment cap

15% of Milwaukee Public School District (MPSD) Enrollment

Number of participating schools

107 (2003-2004)

Age of program

13 years

Voucher size

The lower of $5,882 or the school’s combined tuition and

debt service cost

Total program cost

$76 million (2003-2004)

Source of funding

45% from reduction in state transfers to MPSD and 55% from the state’s general fund

Student participation criteria

- Milwaukee resident

- Family income <= 175% of poverty line

- In prior school year pupil was either: enrolled in MPSD, was already enrolled in the voucher program, was enrolled in kindergarten through the 3^rd grade in a Milwaukee private school, or was not enrolled in school.

School financial regulations

- Voucher must be accepted as full payment of tuition

- Must submit yearly audit to the state

School facilities regulations

Must meet all health and safety laws and codes that apply to public schools

School admissions regulations

- must use random lottery if oversubscribed

- no discrimination by race, color, national origin

School personnel regulations

- no discrimination by race, color, national origin

School content regulations

May not require pupils to participate in any religious activities without parental approval

School testing regulations

None

School performance regulations

At least one of the following must be true, in the judgment of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction:

- At least 70% of the pupils in the program advance one grade level each year.

- The private school’s average attendance rate for the pupils in the program is at least 90%.

- At least 80% of the pupils in the program demonstrate significant academic progress.

- At least 70% of the families of pupils in the program meet parent involvement criteria established by the private school.

Student enrollment

5,147 (2002-2003)

Student enrollment cap

Depends solely on the level of funding allocated to the program by the state

Number of participating schools

50 (2002-2003)

Age of program

7 years

Voucher size

- A maximum of $3,000 for K-8th graders (2003-2004)

- A maximum of $2,700 for 9th graders (2003-2004)

- Families earning less than 200 percent of a state-determined poverty threshold receive a voucher worth up to 90% of tuition, while those above that threshold receive a 75% voucher.

Total program cost

$16.4 million (2003-2004)

Source of funding

Program funds are deducted from Cleveland’s share of the Disadvantaged Pupil Impact Aid (DPIA) line item of the state’s General Revenue Fund. It is not clear if the legislature simply increases the DPIA’s total value to offset this loss to Cleveland or if the public school district actually loses money when it loses students.

Student participation criteria

- Resident within Cleveland Municipal School District boundaries

- Preference to low-income families, significant discretion given to state Superintendent of Public Instruction.

- In the current school year the pupil must be entering k-8th grade if he/she is new to the program. Returning students are eligible to attend the 9th grade under the program in 2003-2004, and the 10th grade will open up for returning students in 2004-2005.

School financial regulations

- Fees charged to low-income parents may not exceed 10 percent of voucher amount (with “low-income” defined by the state)

- Schools must accept in-kind contributions and services from low-income parents in lieu of fees

School eligibility requirements

Must either be a member of a government approved accrediting body or must follow the pedagogical/curriculum guidelines set down for public schools by the State Board of Education and submit to and pass periodic inspections by the Board of Education.

School facilities regulations

Same as for other “chartered” private schools

School admissions regulations

- Returning students have highest priority, followed by siblings of returning students.

- For all other students, the rules differ depending on the grades involved

- For grades k-3, school must use two random lotteries to admit students. The first lottery includes only low-income applicants (as defined by the state) and this lottery must account for 20 percent of the preceding year’s enrollment for that grade. The second lottery is open to all applicants.

- For grades 4 and up, returning students have priority and all subsequent applicants can be accepted or rejected at the school’s discretion.

- No discrimination based on race, religion, or ethnic background

School personnel regulations

No discrimination based on race, religion, or ethnic background

School content regulations

- Participating schools must be “chartered nonpublic schools.” A chartered nonpublic school is one that conforms to the set of rules laid down by the State Board of Education  in the Ohio Administrative Code under section 3301-35-12 “Chartered nonpublic schools.” 

- Students must attend school for a number of hours and number of days of attendance equivalent to the hours and days of attendance in public schools.

School testing regulations

Like all private schools in the state, voucher redeeming schools must participate in the statewide government testing program called for under section 3301.07.10 (“Statewide program to test student achievement; graduation tests”) of the Ohio Statutes.

Regulatory bodies

The State Administrative Code requires the State Board of Education to Appoint a nonpublic school committee to advise it on matters related to private schooling. This committee must, by law, be overwhelmingly comprised of representatives of the (mostly religious) currently dominant school accrediting organizations. Three quarters of the members of the advisory committee must be members of these organizations.  This cartelizes control over subsidized private education, ensuring that existing organizations dominate the body that influences policies affecting all current and prospective private schools.

Student enrollment

1,100 (November, 2003)

Student enrollment cap

13,700 (November, 2003)

Number of participating schools

Unknown - roughly 138 private schools are eligible

Age of program

3 years

Voucher size

The state allocation for the participating child if he/she were to attend a public school or the private school’s actual tuition, whichever is less. The average voucher is between $3,500 and $3,900.

Total program cost

Contingent on student participation (no fixed cap)

Source of funding

State education budget. State allocation follows the student, so districts no longer receive state funds for the students who leave.

Student participation criteria

- In the previous year, the student must have attended a public school that received two consecutive grades of “F” in the past two years on the state’s annual school grading program, or

- The student must be entering kindergarten or the first grade and have been assigned to a public school that was graded “F” in the previous two years, or

- The student must have been previously enrolled in the program.

School financial regulations

- Voucher must constitute full tuition (section 4(i) of enabling legislation).

- School must provide proof of financial viability to the state

School eligibility requirements

School must be accredited by a government approved accrediting body. (section 4(f) of enabling legislation)

School facilities regulations

Same code and safety requirements as all private schools.

School admissions regulations

- Schools may not discriminate by race, color, national origin, religion, academic history (Section 4(c) of the enabling legislation [Florida Statutes 1002.38 ] requires compliance with 42 U.S.C. s. 2000d and section 4(e) of the enabling legislation prohibits academic and religious discrimination against students)

- If there are more applicants than there are places available, students must be accepted on a random lottery basis

- Siblings of previously (randomly) admitted students may be given preference

School personnel regulations

May not discriminate by race, color, national origin, religion

School content regulations

Schools must follow instruction/curriculum guidelines laid down by their government-approved accrediting body (section 4(f)).

School testing regulations

Participating schools must administer the same tests as public schools, including the FCAT reading and mathematics tests and “Florida Writes!”

School performance regulations

To graduate, students must show satisfactory performance on the FCAT or such other graduation tests as are required by the state (section 5(c) of enabling legislation)

School attendance regulations

Schools must follow the attendance requirements set by their government-approved accrediting bodies (section 4(f))

Student enrollment

9,202 (June, 2003); approximately 12,000 (fall, 2003)

Student enrollment cap

None

Number of participating schools

Unknown

Age of program

2 years

Voucher size

Average is $5,840 as of October, 2003. Range was $4,500 to $21,000 as of September, 2002.

Total program cost

Contingent on student participation (no fixed cap)

Source of funding

The state education budget (Florida Education Finance Program) allocation for a child with the given category of disability, plus a share of the “guaranteed allocation for exceptional students” for each district laid out in chapter 2000-166, Laws of Florida.

Student participation criteria

- Student is disabled and has an Individual Education Program (IEP) written in accordance with the rules of the State Board of Education

- Student attended a Florida public school in the preceding year

- Student has been accepted at a private school

School financial regulations

School must provide proof of financial viability to the state

School eligibility requirements

School must be accredited by a government approved accrediting body (section 4(f))

School facilities regulations

Same as those pertaining to other private schools

School admissions regulations

May not discriminate by race, color, or national origin (Section 4(c) of the enabling legislation [Florida Statutes 1002.39 ] requires compliance with 42 U.S.C. s. 2000d)

School personnel regulations

May not discriminate by race, color, or national origin (see above).

School content regulations

None

School testing regulations

None

School performance regulations

None

School attendance regulations

None

Student enrollment

N/A

Student enrollment cap

- A variable function of: the number of participating districts (see below), the size of the participating districts, and the number of years since the program was introduced. For eligible school districts, the number of students who may receive vouchers is capped at 1%  in year 1, 2% in year 2, 4% in year 3, and 6% in year four and all subsequent years.

- It is estimated that 20,000 students will be eligible by the 2007-2008 school year if the program begins on schedule in 2004-2005.

Number of participating schools

74 schools provisionally approved

Age of program

passed in 2003 but halted by court injunction

Voucher size

The lesser of the private school’s audited cost per-pupil and:

- For students enrolled in kindergarten, 37½ percent of the district’s per-pupil operating revenues (PPOR)

- For students enrolled in grades 1-8, 75% of the district’s PPOR

- For students enrolled in grades 9-12, 85% of the district’s PPOR.

Total program cost

Dependent on participation

Source of funding

District’s per-pupil allotment of state funding, with the left-over per-pupil amount being retained by the district to pay for fixed-cost items

Student participation criteria

- Students must be in a participating school district

- Students must qualify for a free/reduced price lunch, perform poorly academically, and have attended a public school in the prior year

School financial regulations

Must demonstrate financial viability

School eligibility requirements

Local school districts can deny participation if they construe an applicant school to fall short of the various requirements stipulated in the law.

School facilities regulations

Must meet public school health and safety laws and codes

School admissions regulations

- Schools may give preference to returning students and to the siblings of current/returning students.

- Apart from the previous exceptions, schools must admit eligible students on a first come first accepted basis.

- Schools may not discriminate against eligible children in admissions, dismissals, or other rights or privileges of parents or eligible children, on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or disability (Section 22-56-106, Paragraph 1(b)).

- Students can withdraw at any time with no penalty

School personnel regulations

Fingerprinting of staff and criminal background checks

School content regulations

Schools may not advocate or foster unlawful behavior or teach hatred of a person or a group

School testing regulations

Must permit school district officials to come in and administer state-wide assessments, at the private school’s expense

School performance regulations

none

Program evaluation

An official government assessment of program outcomes will be carried out during the first four years of implementation

Student enrollment

5,614 (fall, 1999)

Student enrollment cap

Limited to students in eligible districts (see below)

Number of participating schools

Approximately 23 schools in Maine and 40 schools outside of Maine

Age of program

130 years

Voucher size

- For elementary school, the lesser of the private school’s tuition or $5,421.96, as of 2002-2003

- For an in-state high school, the lesser of the private school’s tuition or $6,966.49, as of 2002-2003

- For an out-of-state high school, the lesser of the private school’s tuition or $6,333.17, as of 2002-2003

Total program cost

Approximately $30 million (no preset limit)

Source of funding

Each district pays for participating students out of its total budget and is then reimbursed by the state.

Student participation criteria

Students must reside within the boundaries of an eligible district.

School district eligibility

Must not have a government operated school

School financial regulations

Schools must provide audited financial records

School eligibility requirements

- Schools must be secular (added in 1981)

- Schools must be accredited by the state

School facilities regulations

Same as for other private schools

School admissions regulations

none

School personnel regulations

none

School content regulations