Through the efforts of WCRIS and your input, Gov. Tony Evers signed several bills recently that will fix issues of concern about safety drills, the Parental Choice Programs, and private school teacher access to student loan forgiveness.
Assembly Bill 54 (Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam) permits advance warning of school fire drills if the school administrator believes it is in the best interest of the students. (Previously, the law required drills to be conducted without advance warning). It was signed by Gov. Evers on Nov. 21 as 2019 Wisconsin Act 39.
Senate Bill 495 (Sen. Luther Olsen, R-Ripon) makes several changes to the deadlines for the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program and makes changes in the accreditation reporting requirements for a private school participating in a parental choice program. It was signed by Gov. Evers on Nov. 22 as 2019 Wisconsin Act 55.
Assembly Bill 51 (Rep. Amy Loudenbeck, R-Clinton) allows a minority teacher who works in a public, private, or tribal school in a Wisconsin school district in which minority students constitute at least 40 percent of the membership to be eligible to apply for student loan forgiveness. The current program is limited to schools in the City of Milwaukee and the program is underutilized. It was signed into law by Gov. Evers on Nov. 21 as 2019 Wisconsin Act 35.
