FAQ Page — Milwaukee School Sectors
Debunking myths about Milwaukee's school sectors
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Few cities in the country offer families as many education options as Milwaukee. Students here can choose from 3 major sectors: traditional public school districts, public charter schools, and private schools.
Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) is the city's traditional public school district. It is governed by the Milwaukee Board of School Directors, whose members are elected by voters.
Public charter schools are also public schools: they are tuition-free, open to all students, funded by a combination of taxpayer dollars, federal grants, private philanthropy/donations and held accountable through performance contracts with an independent authorizer. Property taxes in Milwaukee generally do not cover independent charter schools, as their funding is decoupled from local property tax levies.
Private choice schools are private schools that accept publicly funded scholarships through Wisconsin's school choice programs, also known as “vouchers.”
While these schools operate differently, all three sectors serve Milwaukee students and families. In fact, roughly half of Milwaukee students now attend a school outside the traditional district MPS system.
The Difference Between Wisconsin, Racine, & Milwaukee Parental Choice Programs
Wisconsin's parental choice programs let eligible families attend a participating private school using a state-funded voucher. There are three, divided by where a family lives:
Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP): Established in 1990 — the first program of its kind in the nation — for eligible families in the City of Milwaukee. As of 2025, it is funded entirely through state revenue, with its historical impact on Milwaukee property taxes fully phased out by 2027.
Racine Parental Choice Program (RPCP): For eligible families in the Racine Unified School District.
Wisconsin Parental Choice Program (WPCP): Created in 2013 for eligible families in the rest of the state, outside Milwaukee and Racine. Currently, the cost of the statewide, Racine, and Special Needs programs is offset by a reduction in state aid to a student's resident school district, which districts may recover through local property taxes.
All three share the same purpose: giving families access to a high-quality school regardless of income or ZIP code. "Decoupling" — an active policy debate in Wisconsin — would shift all the programs to the same fully state-funded model Milwaukee now uses.
Who Authorizes Milwaukee's Public Charter Schools?
Every public charter school needs an "authorizer" — an organization that approves the school and holds it accountable for results. In Milwaukee, four authorizers are permitted under state law:
Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) — authorizes charters within the district
The City of Milwaukee — through the Common Council's Charter School Review Committee
The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UWM)
Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) — authorized in statute, though not currently active
The City, UWM, and MATC are "independent" authorizers, meaning they can approve public charter schools that operate outside the MPS district. This multi-authorizer system is what allows Milwaukee's independent public charter schools to exist. Proposals to limit charter authorizing to school districts only would eliminate the City's, UWM's, and MATC's authority — leaving MPS as the sole authorizer in Milwaukee.
Sources:
• Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
• Milwaukee Third Friday enrollment data
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No. Charter schools and choice schools do not receive more public funding than MPS, and students attending these schools are funded at significantly lower levels than students attending MPS.
In fact, Milwaukee's public charter and private choice students are funded substantially below MPS students on a per-pupil basis. Today, more than 45,000 Milwaukee students attend public charter or private choice schools, creating an annual funding gap of more than $200 million compared with what those same students would generate in MPS.
It is also important to understand scale. Wisconsin's private school choice programs account for only a small share of total statewide K-12 education spending. Traditional district public schools continue to receive the overwhelming majority of education funding.
Sources:
• Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction funding reports
• Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau
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Yes. Public charter schools operate under some of the strongest accountability requirements in Wisconsin.
Unlike traditional district schools, charter schools must periodically earn the right to remain open. Every charter school operates under a performance contract that establishes expectations for academic achievement, financial management, and organizational performance. These contracts are reviewed by an independent authorizer, which has the authority to place schools on corrective action plans, refuse contract renewal, or close schools that fail to meet expectations.
This accountability system is one of the defining features of charter schools. Schools that consistently underperform risk losing their charter and ceasing operations altogether.
By contrast, district-operated schools that struggle academically are generally not subject to the same contract-renewal process. Many district schools have remained open despite years of low performance because they are managed as part of the broader district system.
That does not mean every charter school is successful. It means charter schools face a different accountability structure—one that directly ties continued operation to performance.
Sources:
• Wisconsin charter school law
• Charter authorizer performance frameworks
• DPI accountability reports
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Yes. Public charter schools are required by law to serve students with disabilities and provide special education services just like other public schools.
Families sometimes hear claims that charter schools "cherry-pick" students or avoid serving children with special needs. In reality, Wisconsin law requires public charter schools to accept and serve students with disabilities. Charter schools must provide appropriate services, accommodations, and supports under the same federal and state special education laws that apply to traditional public schools.
Like all public schools, charter schools receive special education funding through Wisconsin's reimbursement system. However, many schools across sectors—including charter schools and MPS schools—argue that state special education funding does not fully cover the actual cost of providing services.
The real policy question is not whether charter schools serve students with disabilities—they do. The question is whether Wisconsin should better fund special education services for all students, regardless of which public school they attend.
Sources:
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
• Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
• Wisconsin special education reimbursement reports
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Every September, Wisconsin schools report enrollment through what is known as the Third Friday count. This count serves as the official student enrollment snapshot used for many state funding calculations and public reporting purposes.
Think of it as Wisconsin's annual enrollment census for schools. The number of students enrolled on the Third Friday in September helps determine how public education dollars are distributed and provides a consistent way to track enrollment trends across school sectors.
The Third Friday count is especially important in Milwaukee because it shows how family enrollment choices have changed over time. As enrollment in MPS has declined, enrollment in public charter schools and private choice schools has grown. These shifts help explain many of the conversations about school funding, building utilization, and long-term planning across the city.
Understanding the Third Friday count helps explain why enrollment trends—not just budget decisions—play such a major role in Milwaukee's education landscape.
Sources:
• Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
• Third Friday enrollment reports
• Milwaukee enrollment trend analyses