Governor, legislator agree to expand Milwaukee school choice program

Published: 2006-02-22

MILWAUKEE (CNS) -- With just days left before a rationing plan was to begin for students in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle and Assembly Speaker John Gard announced Feb. 17 that the enrollment cap will increase next fall by 7,500 students. The announcement came in the basement of the CEO Leadership Academy, one of Milwaukee's choice schools, where Doyle and Gard were joined by other legislators, community leaders and students from other schools in the program, including Messmer Catholic High School. Of the 125 schools participating in the choice program this year, 34 are Catholic schools. "This agreement is the result of a lot of hard work and compromise on both sides," Doyle told the audience. "And as with every negotiation, no one got everything that they wanted. But I believe that the end result is a good, solid agreement and is a clear victory for the children of the choice schools and the public schools in Milwaukee -- and for the taxpayers of this state. By that measure, this agreement is a tremendous success."

Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .