Does Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers want to block expansion of the school choice program?

For his 2023-25 budget, Gov. Tony Evers proposed freezing enrollment in schools participating in a parental choice program for next school year at 2023-24 enrollment levels.  

Evers' office said the freeze would entail "allowing families continued access to private schools while affirming the state’s commitment to robust funding for Wisconsin’s excellent public schools." The Democratic governor made a similar proposal to freeze enrollments in 2019 that was rejected by the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Proponents of expanded school choice criticized the proposal, including the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty. WILL Research Director Will Flanders said "a ‘one-size-fits-all’ model does not meet the educational needs of every student."

Other education proposals in Evers' budget include a $2.6 billion funding increase for K-12 public schools, which he described as the "second largest proposed direct investment in state general aids since … 1995-97."