Wisconsin public school enrollment declines continue as vouchers grow, new data show

Enrollment in Wisconsin’s public school districts has continued to fall, while other types of schools are gaining students, according to the state’s annual late September count.

The numbers released by the Department of Public Instruction on Oct. 15 are unaudited and likely to change. But the initial tally, recorded on the third Friday in September, is one of the factors that determine the amount of state funding schools will receive.

The state may still adjust aid amounts based on a second enrollment count, which school districts conduct on the second Friday in January.

According to the preliminary numbers, enrollment for public school districts fell by about 13,600 full-time equivalent students to a total of about 759,800 this year, a nearly 2% decrease from last year’s estimate.

Over three-quarters of the state’s 421 districts lost students this year, the data show.

Meanwhile, the number of students using state-funded vouchers to attend private schools rose by nearly 2,650 to the equivalent of about 59,600 full-time students, more than a 4% gain for those programs.

The number of students attending independent charter schools, which run separately from public school districts, rose by about 550 to the equivalent of nearly 12,450 full-time students, a more than 4% increase.

The third Friday count excludes students who are homeschooled or pay tuition to attend private schools.

How many students are attending Milwaukee Public Schools?

Milwaukee Public Schools, the state’s largest school district, again saw a dip in enrollment this year, mirroring trends at other public school districts statewide. Declining enrollment has long been an issue for schools as birth rates have fallen across Wisconsin and as competition increases among public, charter, private and choice schools.

The Milwaukee school district reported the equivalent of about 64,580 full-time students this year. The data show a loss of over 1,600 students compared with last year’s initial count, a more than 2% decrease.

In crafting this school year’s $1.5 billion preliminary budget, the district had anticipated enrollment to drop less than 1%, to a total of about 65,300 students.

Even so, the district is set to receive an additional $104.9 million in general state aid this school year, a nearly 18% increase from last year, according to the state Department of Public Instruction. The agency will allocate over $692 million total in general aid to Milwaukee Public Schools.

Sara Shaw, a researcher at the nonpartisan Wisconsin Policy Forum, said Milwaukee will receive more aid because the state’s funding formula also factors in district spending and property wealth.

The district’s $252 million referendum, which voters passed last year, increased school spending. Property values within the district are also growing at a slower rate compared with other districts in the state, making Milwaukee Public Schools eligible for more aid, Shaw said.

General aid is the largest form of state support for schools in Wisconsin. Gov. Tony Evers’ current state budget for the next two years kept funding for general school aids in the 2025-26 school year flat at $5.58 billion.

In a press release, the Department of Public Instruction said over 25% of the state’s 421 school districts will receive more aid this school year than the previous year. About 70% will receive less.

Shaw said the decreases are largely due to declining student enrollment across the state. With overall state aid remaining flat, funds were also redistributed to districts with rising costs or slower property value growth, she said.

How many students are attending voucher schools?

Carol Shires, vice president of operations for the advocacy group School Choice Wisconsin, said this year’s enrollment numbers for choice programs broke records, reflecting a need for more educational options other than public schools. The state’s choice programs subsidize the cost for lower-income students and students with disabilities to attend private schools using publicly funded vouchers.

“Lawmakers in Madison should continue to prioritize protecting these private-school options for all students,” Shires said in a statement.

However, the Wisconsin-based right-leaning think tank Institute for Reforming Government warned that growth in enrollment has slowed at choice schools, likely due to declining birth rates and increased school options.

Based on this year’s preliminary numbers, the equivalent of about 22,900 full-time students are enrolled in the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program, a growth of about 1,900 students, or a 9% increase.

The equivalent of about 29,240 full-time students are enrolled in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program this year, about 320 students more than last year and over a 1% increase.

The Racine Parental Choice Program lost the equivalent of about two full-time students, with a total enrollment of 4,070 full-time equivalent students this year.

State funding to the state’s three private school choice programs and the Special Needs Scholarship Program will total about $700.7 million this year, about $69 million more than last year, according to estimates from the Department of Public Instruction.

The agency said about $357.5 million will be drawn from public school districts’ general school aid to fund the Wisconsin and Racine parental choice programs, as well as the Special Needs Scholarship Program.

The Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, which is fully funded by state general purpose revenue, is estimated to cost nearly $336.3 million this year, according to the Department of Public Instruction.

Kayla Huynh covers K-12 education, teachers and solutions at the Journal Sentinel. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X at @_kaylahuynh. All of her work and coverage decisions are overseen solely by Journal Sentinel editors. Kayla’s position receives support from Kohl Philanthropies and contributions to the Community-Funded Journalism Project. Help continue this reporting with a tax-deductible donation at jsonline.com/support.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin public school enrollment declines continue as vouchers grow, new data show

Reporting by Kayla Huynh, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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