Overview
The Special Needs Scholarship Program (SNSP) is separate from the WPCP and has a separate application process and substantial list of private school duties. Students enrolled in the program receive a $12,000 voucher to attend a participating private school.
Among other things, private schools that want to participate in this program must be accredited. The school must notify the DPI of their intent and the number of spaces it has available. There is no family income requirement. The scholarship is for students with an IEP who have been attending a public school and have been rejected by another public school district through the open enrollment (public school choice) program.
Once granted, the scholarship is good until the child graduates from high school or turns 21. If the child is determined to no longer have a disability, the child can continue at the school with a scholarship equal to the voucher amount available under the WPCP. Students in this program are eligible for busing services.
Navigating a New Choice
The SNSP does not provide special transportation services. SNSP students only receive the same busing services as other private school students.
While students with special needs may be entitled to special transportation services under federal laws, how this relates to the SNSP students is still being worked out.
For WCRIS schools, the SNSP student eligibility focuses only on providing options for public school students with disabilities.
The SNSP is organized like the Private School Choice Programs with a few different requirements of participating schools. Some of these requirements may be difficult or impractical for your school to implement, and you may find that these barriers for your school outweigh the benefits of this program.
What’s important is having an understanding of the finer details of programs like the SNSP so that your school is prepared if the day comes when you decide to participate.
Where can I find more information about the SNSP?
You can find more information in the WCRIS Special Needs Scholarship Handbook. Modeled after the WCRIS Legal Handbook, the WCRIS Special Needs Scholarship Handbook provides, in laymen’s terms, information and policies about the state’s Special Needs Scholarship Program (SNSP) that school leaders need to know.
WCRIS staff attended an SNSP training at the Department of Public Instruction and summed up important takeaways. You can view those takeaways here.
SNSP Program Compliance
Under the SNSP, private schools are required to develop an agreement of services that will be provided by the school with a student’s parent. The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has developed a services agreement form that it uses as an example during SNSP training. Schools are not required to use this form; although, it may be tempting to simply copy it.
However, WCRIS believes the DPI example form lacks clarity about what the law actually requires of schools and could lead to misunderstandings with parents and public school districts.
Therefore, as a service to its members, WCRIS has developed a fillable template for principals and special education teachers to use when completing the SNSP parent/school agreement. The WCRIS template has been reviewed and approved by legal counsel and clarifies the school’s obligations.
The WCRIS template includes language that may help protect your school from issues that could arise when services for SNSP students are over-promised, and under-delivered, as may occur with the DPI example form.
As a member benefit, members can access the free fillable Parent/School Agreement for the SNSP template via the WCRIS Member Portal.
