The DPI is in the process of getting an hours of instruction waiver for the 2021-22 school year for private schools from the legislature. Stay tuned to the WCRIS Current Events letter for updates.
The DPI has created an hours of instruction waiver form for private schools, after insisting it wasn’t needed. The form documents that the 875 hours of annual instruction requirement has been waived for the 2019-20 school year.
Earlier in April, the DPI had told WCRIS that an hours of instruction waiver was not necessary if a school filed its PI 1207 last fall. The agency said they would accept the 1207 form as sufficient verification.
But then, the legislature met in mid-April to pass the emergency Coronavirus law, which sought to provide relief from many problems created by the pandemic.
That law, Wisconsin Act 185 was signed by Gov. Evers on April 15, 2020. It grants the DPI authority to waive the hours requirement for all private schools per Wis. Stat. 118.165(1)(c). The DPI decided to exercise that authority despite its earlier guidance.
So, now, the DPI is advising that “schools that wish to request the waiver must fill out the form found on the DPI’s Covid-19 webpage under Waivers – Private School.”
WCRIS is advising schools to fill out the waiver form. “Given the confusion created by the changing DPI guidance, it’s probably prudent to fill out the form and keep the confirmation on file,” said WCRIS Executive Director Sharon Schmeling.
Once the form is completed, the school will receive an immediate email response acknowledging the waiver for the 2019-20 school year, no further action is needed.
NOTE: If the school participated in any of the Choice programs or the SNSP in 2019-20 there is no need to fill out the waiver, as those schools received a blanket waiver under the same law.
